One Hell of a Master
by Junjou-chan
Summary: One night, a boy is found on a doorstep. He remembers nothing of his past and is unwillingly thrown into a contract with a demon. Now, he must become the perfect servant and pet to the devil...or something close to it. Slightly AU and YAOI! SebaCiel
1. The Deal

**J-C: Okay, so I've recently gotten into this anime and I absolutely LOVE IT! SebaCiel is my 2nd fav pairing of all time! *insert fangirl squeal***

**~Sasuke~ Yea, so instead of updating her most popular fic, Broken, starring yours truly and the dobe...**

**Naruto: HEY!!!**

**~Sasuke~ She allowed the plot bunnies to control her and has decided to write this fic instead...**

**J-C: That's right and I'm not ashamed to admit it! Now, I'm SUPER excited about this fic and I wrote this chappie in about 3 days so I hope that it's good enough for whoever chooses to read it! So please enjoy my ficcie, One Hell of a Master!**

**Naruto: Wait J-C! You haven't done your disclaimer or warnings!**

**J-C: *sighs* Fine...Disclaimer and Warnings, YOU'RE ON!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Kuroshitsuji...let's just say that it would definitely contain a lot more than just shounen-ai hints *wiggles eyes suggestively***

**Warnings: Contains graphic stuff (blood, gore, etc) so definitely not for people with weak stomachs, and some slight OCCness (even though I worked super hard on not making anyone OCC). Also, this will be a YAOI fanfic, which means boyxboy love so if you aren't into that...well...why are you still here?**

**J-C: Also,** _thoughts _**look like that,** **XXX is a scene change, emphasis is like...this, and **"regular conversation" **looks like that! Alrighty, NOW enjoy my brand spankin' new ficcie, One Hell of a Master**

**One Hell of a Master**

**By: Junjou-Chan**

**Chapter 1: The Deal**

_It's so dark. I can't see anything; not even my hand that's directly in front of my face. How do I know my hand is in front of me? It's simple really…I just lifted my arm to see if there was any light in this darkness. But there isn't._

_There hasn't been any light for so long… _

_The last light I saw before I was swallowed up into this darkness was the harsh light coupled with the scalding heat of fire. I know that it was a fire for I can recall the noxious smoke choking my lungs and causing tears to instantly well in my eyes. At that point, I had wanted to escape that light and had taken great comfort when a masked man had taken me away._

_I wish more than anything that I was in that light again._

_The place where I am currently located has absolutely no light. I can't see what's happening around me or what's being done to me. I know that there are others here but none are going through the torture that I have been experiencing for…_

_I'm not even sure how long I've been here…in this darkness. All I know is that I want to leave this place…or at least die. A few months, years? ago, I would've never even considered dying. I had lived such a humble life. I had a mother and father who had loved me dearly and we lived comfortably in our one-story home._

_Ah, home._

_I've lost the ability to remember its exact scent, but I know it was a very comforting and loving scent. I remember that we had a dog and he would always lick my face whenever I would return from school. I remember my father coming in from the field and rubbing my head lovingly with his earth-caked hand. My mother would always scold me for trying to steal little bites of food from whatever she was preparing, but she would always gather me in her arms and hold me close whenever she saw tears well in my eyes._

_No one's here to wipe my tears away. But that's okay now for I believe I've lost the ability to cry. All I can do now is scream._

_And wait for death._

**XXX**

Rain drops made little trails of water, almost like tears, down the cool glass surface of the window. A single candle lit the otherwise dark and drab room but that source of light was soon to be cut off as well.

"Master, are you ready to retire to your quarters?" called a polite voice from the other side of the door. A sigh could be heard from the person who was being asked about and the servant took the hint that the answer was yes. The door slowly opened and an elderly butler was revealed in the doorway to the depressing room. The butler took a step inside before taking a look around the room. The butler adjusted his spectacle before shaking his head with a resigned sigh.

"Master Michaelis, you really should try to liven up this room a bit. I can literally feel my mood drop the minute I step foot in this space," the butler commented disapprovingly. A chuckle could be heard coming from the chair that was currently facing away from the old butler and toward the dreary weather outside.

"Perfect. I wouldn't want this room to do anything but depress people. It makes doing business so much easier. Ne, Tanaka?" a charmingly deep voice replied.

Tanaka the butler sighed before shuffling toward the young man in the chair. The light from the candle he held wavered a bit as he placed it on the corner of the large oak desk. The man placed his hands behind his back before bowing slightly.

"Yes, Master Michaelis. Is there anything else you would like for me to do or get for you before I ready you for bed?" Tanaka continued. Another sigh was Tanaka's response as the large chair swiveled away from the window and toward the obedient servant. The dancing flame from the candle eerily illuminated the young man's unnaturally red eyes as he tiredly ran a gloved hand through his surprisingly messy and unkempt black hair. The young man sitting before Tanaka could be described as breathtakingly beautiful and many potential suitors (both female and shockingly male) hadn't missed the opportunity to point this fact out. The fact that his skin was unnaturally pale and his hair was as black as the midnight sky seemed to only contrast perfectly with the being also known as Sebastian Michaelis.

But those suitors also didn't realize that looks could be quite deceiving. Although Sebastian looked to be about the age of a healthy 25 year old male, in truth, the person lounging lazily in the red plush chair was actually **much** older than that. How could this be possible you inquire? The answer is quite simple.

Sebastian Michaelis was not human. Far from it actually.

He was a demon.

Now, based on what I described this demon as, you probably would've never guessed that he was a stereotypically evil and supernatural being. Perhaps the only thing that could possibly give away his true self were his unnaturally sharp canine teeth, but those barely showed for this "young man" barely smiled widely.

However, as Tanaka stood patiently in front of the demon, a smile that revealed the deadly looking teeth slowly spread onto his face. He pressed two gloved fingers to his forehead while leaning back in the oversized chair.

"Could you get me a new life please? Complete with **not** having to deal with worthless humans' day in and day out?" Sebastian asked with mock hope in his voice. The supernatural being knew the answer to this question without even having to ask. A small smile spread on the old man's wrinkled face before he bowed apologetically.

"You and I both know that isn't possible Master Michaelis," Tanaka replied good-naturedly. The demon revealing smile vanished from Sebastian's face and was replaced with a childish pout and crossed arms. Tanaka softly laughed at the **much** older man's behavior before going to stand behind the office chair. He reached behind the back of the chair and his old, skilled fingers began to gently knead the demon's shoulders. Sebastian released a pleased sigh and Tanaka continued the relaxing gesture as he worked the tension out of the pale man's body. A content silence settled over the two and the only sounds that could be heard were the sounds of the old grandfather clock's ticking and the soft pitter patter of the rain drops on the window.

Without warning, the antique clock loudly proclaimed the hour, causing Tanaka to jump and come quite close to having a heart attack while Sebastian chuckled at the old man's reaction. Tanaka risked a glare at his master who merely waved at the old gentleman with a dismissive hand gesture.

"Ah, come now Tanaka. You know you would've laughed too if you could've saw your face as the clock chimed midnight," Sebastian said teasingly as an open-mouthed smirk developed on his perfectly shaped and unblemished face. Anger momentarily forgotten, the old butler began pushing the back of the large chair, causing the demon to chuckle once again.

"Tanaka, what's the rush all of a sudden?" Sebastian asked as he purposefully shifted his weight to make the task of moving the chair even more difficult. Tanaka grunted his disapproval at both his master's antics and the fact that the chair was not bending to his will as he unsuccessfully attempted to move his master out of his current position.

"You should not be up so late Master Michaelis. You have a full schedule tomorrow and you have not even completed the work from today so that makes your schedule even fuller than it already is!" Tanaka grunted desperately. The pale man rubbed a gloved hand under his chin in thought before turning to face the struggling butler.

"Ah ah ah, Tanaka. Fuller isn't a word," Sebastian said with slight disapproval as he wagged his index finger from side to side. Tanaka rolled his eyes with annoyance and continued in his fruitless attempt to move the unnaturally **heavy** person.

"Yes it is Master Michaelis. I am not one to make up words, nor condone lateness!" Tanaka added as he pointedly glared at the now pondering young man.

"Really? I never anticipated fuller being a word…does that mean funner is a word as well?" Sebastian asked curiously as he tilted his head to the side.

"Master Michaelis!" the elderly butler cried urgently, causing said Master to sigh before moving from his perch. The loss of weight caused the poor old butler to fly forward, nearly smashing his face on the imported oak floors, but a black boot clad foot stopped the painful collision from occurring. Sadly, Tanaka still got a mouthful of boot on account of the fact that his mouth had been open when he had fallen. The old butler resisted the urge to gag from the taste of leather and shoe polish as he shakily removed his mouth from the shoe and his body from the floor. Sebastian made his way to the large door as he tapped his chin with one finger.

"Alright, alright, Tanaka. I understand your point. But be sure to add finding where it states in writing that fuller is indeed a word and whether or not funner is considered a word as well to tomorrow's schedule," Sebastian yawned as he exited the dreary room, leaving poor Tanaka to try and catch his bearings. The elderly man fished a cleaning cloth out of the pocket of his black button-up jacket as he cleaned his glasses. He placed the pieces of glass firmly in place and exhaled a shaky breath.

"I really am getting too old for this job," the old butler commented wearily. As he began placing the various bits of furniture back into position and organized the miscellaneous pieces of paper that Sebastian had so kindly left for him to put into order on the old writing desk, he couldn't stop a slow smile from spreading on his face. He reached for the solitary candle and made his way to the doorway, but paused before exiting. He turned to glance back at where Sebastian had just been sitting moments ago and released a soft chuckle.

"And to think that that demon is older than me!" Tanaka said wistfully as he closed the heavy office door.

Little did Tanaka know, if he had spent just one more second near Sebastian's work area, maybe he would've noticed the lone horse making its way down the cobblestone pathway.

Maybe not.

**XXX**

_The last thing I remember was the feeling of coldness and mind-numbing pain._

_And of course, the last thing I saw was darkness._

**XXX**

"OIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!! Master Michaelis!!!!!!" a loud voice called from down the dark hallway. Sebastian swiftly side-stepped and avoided the collision with the orange and yellow blurs that raced past. A loud crash could be heard from the end of the hallway and Sebastian sighed and rubbed his temples with the tips of his fingers as he walked in the direction the blurs had flown to.

"Must you two behave this way, **every** time you see me?" Sebastian asked tiredly as he took in the two tangled lumps of people covered in metal from the now destroyed knight's armor. A boy with orange hair grinned happily up at the annoyed demon while the blond-haired man merely huffed and turned his head to the side to face his companion.

"I told you he wouldn't like that kind of greeting Finny. But did you listen to good ol' Bard? Noooooooooooooo," Bard drawled and Finny shot him an apologetic look complete with tears as he clasped his hands in front of his face.

"I'm soooooo sorry Bard! I thought that maybe Master Michaelis would come around to liking our greeting…but I guess I was wrong again," Finny finished dejectedly. Sebastian sighed at the younger boy's theatrics as Bard awkwardly tried to comfort the now depressed gardener.

"Now that you two have somewhat greeted me, I have something that I would like to ask," Sebastian cut in as his one eyebrow twitched in annoyance. Even though the demon had all the time in the world, ironically, he hated wasting it. He preferred to have everything run smoothly and precisely on a detailed schedule and he absolutely couldn't stand for events or people wasting his precious time.

Finny and Bard both looked up at their master; Finny with a look of hope and admiration and Bard with a look of WTF and why am I still here?

"Would you two care to tell me why exactly you are wandering the hallways at this time of night? Shouldn't you mortals be asleep now?" Sebastian added distastefully. Bard winced at the insult but Finny completely ignored the second comment and leaped from his position on the ground, causing the various pieces of the knight's armor to fly in several directions. Lucky for both Finny and Sebastian, none of those heavy metal pieces touched the immaculate demon.

"Yes Master Michaelis! We're just patrolling the grounds one last time just to make sure that there aren't any intruders or thieves around!" Finny replied enthusiastically. Bard nodded his agreement as he moved from his position on the floor to stand next to his fellow servant.

"But what about you Master Michaelis? Why aren't you asleep at this hour? Don't immortals need their beauty rest?" Bard asked sarcastically. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at the disrespectful tone of the cook's voice before chuckling darkly. Both Finny and Bard simultaneously shivered at the sound demon's chuckle.

"You both know that an immortal, let alone a demon, doesn't require something so fruitless and… time-consuming as sleep," he answered darkly. Bard gulped and mumbled an apology but Finny snapped his fingers as an idea popped into his head.

"You may not need sleep Master Michaelis, but you should rest!" he declared with a wide smile. Bard had a face-palm moment while Sebastian merely shook his head. Sebastian sighed as he saw the red-headed boy's hurt expression and a grimace flashed on his face before being quickly replaced with a smile.

"You're right Finnian. I shall follow your advice and go…rest now," Sebastian said smoothly as he turned on his heel and made his way down the dark hallway. Finny blinked at Sebastian's reaction to his suggestion and Bard merely groaned and rubbed the new bump that had formed on the back of his head.

"Master Michaelis!" a scratchy voice suddenly yelled from farther down the hallway. Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed as a young maid came darting the hallway. Bard and Finny turned around to see what all the commotion was about. Maylene the maid was running straight toward the demon when she suddenly stepped on the loose shoelace of her boots. She shrieked and wildly flailed her arms as she tried to stop herself from falling. Her impact was cushioned by a strong chest and she blushed nearly purple when she realized that she had been caught in Sebastian's arms. Maylene looked up and locked eyes with Sebastian, causing her blush to darken to an even darker shade of purple.

"You really should be more careful Maylene. You might cause great harm to yourself or the people around you," Sebastian commented as he helped the girl back onto her feet. Maylene nodded so fast that Bard and Finny simultaneously thought that her head might pop off.

"Y-Y-Ye-Ye-Yes M-M-Master Michaelis! P-P-Please forgive m-my clumsiness!" Maylene stammered nervously. She was still trying to get over the fact that she had just been touched by Sebastian. Sebastian continued to stare at the girl with a question in his eyes as Maylene stammered unnecessary apologies.

"Maylene," Sebastian cut in sharply but with a hint of kindness. Maylene instantly snapped her mouth shut and stammered out a quick sorry before clearing her throat.

"Right Master Michaelis. There's someone at the door," Maylene said with a hint of urgency. Bard and Finny exchanged a confused look at one another and Sebastian frowned slightly.

"A person you say?" Sebastian asked noncommittally. Maylene nodded once in confirmation and Sebastian raised an eyebrow. He reached into the pocket of his black vest and pulled out his pocket watch.

"At this time of night?" Sebastian inquired with a hint of interest. It was very rare for someone to visit the Michaelis manor at nearly one in the morning. This piqued Sebastian's interest for a moment.

"Unless this person has a just reason for calling on me at this time of night, tell them to come back at a more suitable time tomorrow morning and I will try to see if I can see to their needs," Sebastian told Maylene with a formal tone. The supernatural being began to walk past the panting maid when he suddenly felt someone grip his arm. His eyes widened and he turned to look at Maylene with surprise clearly present on his pale face. Bard and Finny watched open-mouthed as the normally shy and clumsy maid grabbed their master's arm with a vice-like grip. Sebastian looked into the maid's eyes and saw nothing but determination and slight panic.

"I really think you should see this person right at this moment Master Michaelis," Maylene said with a hint of hysteria. Sebastian resumed his normal mask of cool indifference and began to pull his arm out of the younger girl's grip. He frowned when he found that the girl wasn't letting up. He opened his mouth to order her to release him but she cut him off.

"It's an emergency Master!"

**XXX**

Sebastian and Maylene made their way down the long staircase accompanied by Bard and Finny. The two male servants couldn't resist the urge to follow the two when they had witnessed one of the rare scenes of a servant disobeying a master. This person clearly had to be someone of importance for Maylene to cross such a line. Sebastian could've chosen to blow off Maylene's words and continue on his "merry" way, but something told him that something interesting could occur from meeting this person. Call it demon's intuition, but he just couldn't resist the opportunity to possibly have something interesting happen for once.

Maylene had her hands twisted in her white apron and she bit her bottom lip as she led the three men towards the front door. Sebastian didn't even have to look at the woman to know that she was clearly nervous and slightly fearful of whatever was on the other side of the front door. He could just feel her emotions radiating off of her.

Another benefit of being a demon.

At the bottom of the stairway, Sebastian felt Maylene shaking beside him and this only served to heighten his interest in whoever was present at the front door. By this point, the rain had shifted to a full blown storm and the door was rattling from the force of the wind. The faint rumble of thunder was heard by only Sebastian as the four made their way to the entrance to the Michaelis manor. Maylene gulped and turned to face her fellow servants and Sebastian. Sebastian raised an eyebrow and Bard and Finny exchanged a bewildered glance at each other.

"U-Um, I'm not sure how I should present him to you," Maylene said unsurely and Sebastian resisted the urge to laugh at the bumbling maid.

"Just open the door for me Maylene so that I may see who is calling on me at this time of night and in this sort of weather," Sebastian requested with a hint of sweetness. The look on Sebastian's face caused Maylene to blush and she quickly nodded her head in understanding. She turned away from the demon and took a deep breath as she touched the door handle. She slowly turned the knob and paused again, trying to ready herself and give time for her companions to prepare themselves as well. With an almost inaudible gulp, Maylene suddenly threw open the door. At the exact moment the door unlatched and revealed the person on the doorstep, the harsh flash of a lightning bolt blinded the three servants. Sebastian's eyes instantly adjusted to the sudden addition of light so he was technically the first one to see the figure on the doorstep. Sebastian's eyes widened as he took in the appearance of the anonymous guest.

For one thing, the person was not standing at his doorstep, he was lying there. Another thing, the boy was dead.

A strangled cry could be heard from Finny and Bard turned his head away from the gruesome sight. Maylene covered her face in her hands and released a sob as Sebastian calmly took in the appearance of the dead boy.

The boy's body was twisted in a way that suggested that his back was broken and Sebastian could see the bones from his skeletal system through the several holes in the ripped material that the demon assumed were his clothes. His legs and arms were covered with several gashes and bruises and Sebastian noted that some of those wounds were still bleeding. But perhaps the most haunting thing about the body on the doorstep, besides the overwhelming amount of blood pooling around the broken body, was the facial expression on the dead boy's face. The demon's eyes widened slightly when he saw the unmistakable look of complete calm and even a hint of happiness forever fixed on the body's face. It was almost as if this boy was happy that he was dead.

The boy would've been considered beautiful if not for the several scratches and bruises that covered his otherwise pale and unblemished face. Sebastian's mouth twitched as he saw that there was a hole in the side of the boy's face, revealing a row of smashed teeth.

Sebastian took a step towards the boy's body and the three servants could only watch in awe and amazement as their master made his way over to the horribly disfigured body. Sebastian kneeled beside the corpse and reached out a hand to touch the side of the boy's face that didn't have the hole present.

"No master! Don't touch it! You'll become dirty!" Finny suddenly screamed, causing both of his fellow servants to jump with fright and shock. Sebastian's hand jerked to a stop but a calm expression found its way onto his face. He looked into Finny's eyes and managed a small smirk at the gardener's statement.

"Me? Become dirty from touching this dead human? You amuse me Finnian," Sebastian said without a hint of amusement present in his cold voice. Finny bowed his head in shame and Bard took a final look at the boy's body before looking at the demon bent next to him.

"You really should come inside Master Michaelis. You may catch a cold," he suggested as the demon continued to be drenched by the torrents of rain. Bard's words were either completely ignored or unheard by Sebastian for now he had fixed his gaze on the boy's exposed chest. His mouth twitched as the saw the obvious stab wound that had been directed to hit dead into the boy's heart, instantly killing him. Sebastian's red eyes traveled up to the boy's thin neck, where he could clearly see the still red marks of a man's fingers. His eyes continued to roam the abused and broken body and his eyes flickered to the boy's raped entrance before he glanced at the side of the boy's head and found a cracked skull that was covered by the corpse's dark black hair. His unnaturally colored eyes finally came to rest on the boy's haunting face. The boy's cheekbones were clearly seen and gave him the appearance of someone who had been starved for quite a long time. The boy's lips were very pale and were turning a bruised blue color. They were severely cracked and there was a thin path of blood still running from between the dry lips. Sebastian closed his eyes and slowly stood up from his kneeling position, but not before he ran the back of his gloved fingers across the bruised and cold cheek of the corpse.

Tears were present in all three of the servant's eyes and Sebastian inwardly mocked the human's weakness. Clearly, they had never seen a dead body before but to Sebastian, it was like looking at another person walking down the street. In fact, before he had ever made contact with any humans in his current form, he probably would've been the one to cause such a death to a mere mortal.

"From what I can see, which is quite a lot, this boy hasn't been dead for long. He was clearly starved and could've possibly died from dehydration," Sebastian said without a hint of emotion. A confused expression flashed across Maylene, Finny, and Bard's faces and Sebastian resisted the urge to slap some sense into all three of his servants.

"Dehydration means a lack of water. Humans cannot live without this for long periods of time. Now, he was beaten quite recently and it seems that he has been receiving beatings for quite a while. He also has been raped frequently and recently." Ignoring the servant's gasping, Sebastian continued without pause as his eyes took in the appearance of the dead body, piecing together the boy's final moments.

"After being raped for the umpteenth time, he was probably trying to get away and had his head smashed against a hard surface, causing him to have a fractured skull. This probably stunned and paralyzed the boy momentarily, allowing his killer or killers, the opportunity to go for a second round," Sebastian paused for a breath and took in the boy's bruised wrists and ankles, suggesting that he had been held down.

"Finally bored with their little game with this victim, they began to strangle him. Deciding that he wasn't dying fast enough and he could possibly live even after having his windpipe crushed, his killer or killers, decided to break his back by also slamming it against the edge of a hard surface, like a stone table for example," Sebastian said as if telling the weather. His eyes had wandered down to the fatal wound on the boy's chest that had clearly ended his life. Finny and Maylene were both reduced to tears at this point and Bard was fighting to prevent any tears from escaping his tear-filled eyes.

"So, in order to quickly end his torturous life, the killer plunged a large knife into his chest, aiming for his heart, in order to kill hi-" Sebastian instantly cut off his speech and his eyes widened in complete surprise and amazement. The three servants thought that perhaps the horror of the boy's killing was finally getting to the demon but they were way off the mark.

It had been very weak, and very shallow, but Sebastian swore that he saw the boy's chest rise and fall. Attempting to confirm what he had just saw, Sebastian instantly got down on one knee and placed two gloved fingers to the boy's bruised neck and placed his lips directly over the boy's own, suggesting that he was about to kiss him.

There was no denying it.

"He's alive," Sebastian said with confidence. Maylene and Finny's eyes widened to comic proportions and Bard dropped the cigarette that he was about to smoke.

"I-Impossible! You said so yourself Master Michaelis that he was stabbed directly in the heart!" Bard loudly protested. Maylene and Finny nodded their heads in agreement and Sebastian's eyes narrowed at the trio.

"He still has a very faint and fleeting pulse and I just witnessed and felt him breathe. Are you calling me a liar Bardaroy?" Sebastian asked dangerously. Bard gulped and rubbed the back of his head in a nervous gesture.

"I would never doubt your word Master. But it's impossible for someone to survive the ordeal that that boy has went through," Bard replied anxiously. Sebastian looked down at what he thought was a corpse before locking eyes with Bard.

"I agree with you Bardaroy. I was merely going to categorize this as another death threat on my life, have Finnian bury him somewhere, and return inside to have a warm bath. However, this boy has proven both of us wrong. He is still alive, barely," Sebastian added. Footsteps could be heard coming from the staircase and the three servants plus Sebastian looked as Tanaka made his way down the stairs. He stopped at the bottom and called out to Sebastian.

"Master Michaelis. If you will forgive me for asking this question, but what do you intend to do with the knowledge that you have just learned?" Tanaka asked respectfully. Bard, Maylene, and Finny turned back to look at their Master. Sebastian ran a hand through his wet hair and glanced down at the still alive boy at his feet. He got back into a standing position and looked at his servants with no expression present on his face.

"Absolutely nothing," he said with a deceivingly pleasant smirk on his face. Maylene and Finny's eyes both widened in shock and Bard narrowed his eyes at the demon while Tanaka merely wiped off his glasses. He readjusted them on the bridge of his nose and locked eyes with his master.

"Is that what you truly wish Master? It seems like such a shame to waste such a perfectly corrupted soul. And he looks as if he was such a beautiful boy too," Tanaka commented sadly as he slowly shook his head. Sebastian's eyes widened slightly at Tanaka's words and he looked down at the rain drenched boy. The demon tried to imagine the boy without all the gruesome wounds and bruises and found that what the butler said could possibly be true. Beauty aside, what had really caught Sebastian's attention was the fact that the butler had mentioned the boy's soul.

Ah, souls.

Sebastian hadn't had a quality soul in such a long time. His mouth watered at the prospect of finally being able to actually eat real food. Sure, the mortals fed him what they considered food, but what the demon truly thirsted and hungered for were souls. Not just any soul, but a thoroughly corrupted one. A corrupted soul was like a feast in a demon's eyes. To be able to eat one after being denied for so long seemed truly wonderful. However, there were certain procedures that a proper demon has to follow and Sebastian wasn't sure if it was worth it.

While the demon was having his own private debate with himself, Tanaka and the servants was all thinking of a way to save the astonishing boy's life. Each individual mind went through all the possible routes to save his life and each servant ended up agreeing with the exact same thought. The servants locked eyes with each other and the trio locked eyes with Tanaka, giving him the go ahead.

"Master Michaelis, perhaps you should bring in the boy and at least allow him the dignity of dying on a bed," Tanaka remarked tactfully and Sebastian's head snapped up as he was jerked out of his mental thought process. His eyes traveled back to the boy's face and he watched as a rain drop mixed with the blood on his face, giving the appearance that the boy was crying bloody tears. A small smirk developed on the demon's face.

"Ah, you are quite right Tanaka. Ready a bed for our…guest," Sebastian replied smoothly, causing Maylene, Finny, and Bard to breathe a sigh of relief. Tanaka placed a hand over his heart and bowed.

"Yes, my lord." Tanaka exited and made his way to one of the empty spare rooms while Bard, Finny, and Maylene followed behind him, leaving Sebastian and the broken boy alone on the doorstep. Sebastian sighed before tiredly smiling at the unconscious boy. He got down on his knee and gently scooped the boy up into his arms. He positioned the boy so that there wasn't too much pressure on his already broken back. In case he wanted to have the soul of this boy, he didn't want to accidentally split him completely in half. He shifted the boy's head so that it was resting against him and he firmly held the boy bridal style as he made his way to the room Tanaka was preparing.

"You really are causing a lot of trouble…but I guess you are bringing a little excitement into my otherwise drab life," Sebastian said to the barely alive boy. Compared to Sebastian, the boy was pretty much drowned in water and his dark hair seemed to be permanently attached to his sickly pale face. The blood from his body dripped onto the floor as Sebastian walked towards the room. The demon looked down at the boy's destroyed yet strangely peaceful face. Sebastian chuckled softly as he stopped outside the door to the hurriedly prepared room.

"I wonder if your soul is worth all the trouble."

**XXX**

"You can't be serious," Sebastian asked with a hint of surprise as he stared with an incredulous expression present on his face. Finny stared back with a defiant expression and both Bard and Maylene had looks of determination on their faces. Tanaka was the only servant that had an otherwise neutral expression in the whole room. Sebastian looked from the broken boy back to his servants and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Why are you three going so far for a complete, nearly dead, stranger?"

"Because no one should die like that Master Michaelis!" Finny instantly replied back. Bard suddenly stepped forward and locked eyes with Sebastian.

"As you know Master Michaelis, I fought in the army before I came to work for you. I've seen many of my fellow comrades and even close friends die from the shot of a bullet or the stab of a knife. At that point, I thought there was no crueler way for a human being to be killed than to be killed in war. But after hearing what you think may have happened to…to that boy…it's just not right not to let him live. To not let him have a second chance at life," Bard said passionately. An open-mouthed smirk developed on Sebastian's face and he released a short laugh.

"That, Bardaroy, is what you don't understand. If I choose to save this boy's life, he won't have a second chance at life. He will forever be bound to me. His body, his emotions, his mind, his soul…everything," Sebastian said. Maylene looked at the broken boy still bleeding on the white sheets and resisted the urge to cry. Tears wouldn't help when making a deal with the devil…or at least something close to the devil.

"But Master Michaelis, it wouldn't hurt to have another servant around the house! We will take care of him and we will teach him everything he needs to know!" Maylene reasoned desperately. Sebastian openly laughed at that statement.

"You three truly amaze me. You can barely perform your own tasks without messing up in some way. You would render this boy completely useless to me," Sebastian replied with a deceivingly sweet tone of voice. The three servants winced at Sebastian's words and hung their heads in shame and defeat. Tanaka cleared his throat and all eyes once again focused on the old butler.

"Master Michaelis, I will not lie to you. I am getting old. Every day that passes by brings me closer to my death. And with my…current situation, I am completely useless during the daytime hours. So perhaps taking that boy on as my replacement during the day, and perhaps later on when my time comes, would be in your best interest. I will teach him everything he needs to know about being a proper butler and servant and I will even go so far as to teach him subjects such as English, Math, and some of the fine arts so that he won't be a bumbling idiot in your presence," Tanaka bargained calmly. Sebastian rested his chin in the palm of his hand and sighed.

"You too Tanaka? And just when I thought that at least one of my servants would understand," Sebastian said with disappointment. Tanaka bowed before he continued to speak.

"I fully understand what will happen to that boy if you save his life and restore him to complete health. He will have to sign his soul over to you and when he dies, you will have possession of it. During his lifetime, if he is to have a lifetime, he will be owned by you and will be forced to do your bidding until the day he dies. He will have to serve you faithfully and loyally and will never be allowed to leave your side, not even when he dies," Tanaka said seriously. Sebastian crossed his arms in front of his chest and allowed his gaze to pass over all four of his servants.

"Do you understand what kind of deal you're making? You are pleading with me to have the right to sign over this boy's soul to me. If I were to save him and tell him exactly why his soul now belongs to a demon and who gave me the right to have control over his whole life, he will hate you for his entire life. Are you four really willing to accept the hate of one boy for ruining his life instead of just letting him die tonight?" Sebastian turned away from his servants and looked at the still bleeding body on the now stained red sheets. The eerily peaceful expression on the boy's face looked even more haunting from the dim light of the single candle by the bed.

"Yes, Master Michaelis. We can accept that that boy will hate us for what we are trying to do for him. I can accept the hate of another of my kind, but…I would hate myself for not attempting to save a child's life when I have the opportunity to do so. And to me, that's the worst kind of hate," Finny commented seriously. Sebastian turned away from the broken boy and turned back to face his loyal servants.

"Please Master Michaelis," Maylene threw in as a last ditch attempt. There was nothing more that the servants could say to try and change Sebastian's mind. A smile that showed the demon's animal-like teeth spread onto Sebastian's face and each servant had to resist the urge to shiver in fear. All of a sudden, the room's temperature dropped to near freezing and all light ceased to exist in the room. Maylene's sharp eyes caught the sight of black feathers descending to mask Sebastian and everything else in the room and a bone-chilling laugh suddenly filled the room.

"So, you really do wish to form a contract between this boy and I? Well, I accept the offering of this boy's soul. He will serve me faithfully and his body, mind, everything, now belongs to me in exchange for saving his life. You four, Tanaka, Maylene, Finnian, Bardaroy, are the replacement signers for this contract. On the day of his death, his soul will forever belong to me and he shall descend to Hell with me, with no chance of going to Heaven. While he's living, you four will have absolutely no say in what I do to him or how I treat him. If he comes to you covered in bruises and blood, you will not attempt to try and tell me I shouldn't beat him. You will only have a say in this boy's life when I say you may have a say or if he asks you about petty things. These are mine conditions for this contract. Now…Bardaroy, Finnian, Maylene, Tanaka. Do thine still wish to form this contract?" Sebastian's cold and fearful voice rang throughout the entire room. The four servants exchanged looks with one another and each one solemnly nodded their head.

"Yes, Master. Form the contract!" Tanaka replied. A dark laugh that instantly struck fear in the servants' hearts filled the darkened and chilled room. Black feathers raised up from the floor and came to develop around where Sebastian was previously standing in his human form. The only thing that could be seen behind the curtain of feathers was Sebastian's demon revealing smile.

* * *

**J-C: There it is folks! My new ficcie! Soooooooo what did you guys think?! *looks with hope shining in eyes***

**~Sasuke~ It was pretty dark...**

**J-C: AND?!?!**

**~Sasuke~ And what?**

**J-C: *falls out of chair anime style* What did YOU think Naruto?**

**Naruto: I want ramen-covered Sasuke...NOW!**

**~Sasuke~ WHAT?!?!?!**

**J-C: Argh, you guys are no help! Alrighty readers (do I even have readers O.O) I'm turning to you! I'm not sure if I should continue this ficcie so I would really appreciate if you could review this chappie! You can even flame cuz I'm really cold right now so they will only be used for heating purposes. ^^ But on the off chance that you guys REALLY like this ficcie, maybe you could tell other readers on this site about it...? This community really needs more love cuz this anime is so freaking awesome and I can't wait for the 2nd season! So I hope that I helped to add to the love and didn't take away from it! Of course, the only way I'll know is through reviews so plz REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! Arigato gozaimasu (thank you very much) for reading my ficcie!**

**Ja ne for now! ^^**


	2. The Meeting

**J-C: *throws festive confetti in the air* HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!!!**

**~Sasuke~ It's not New Year's Day yet J-C...**

**J-C: DUH! But I'm just so excited about finishing before New Year's Day!**

**Naruto: That is quite an achievement J-C!**

**J-C: See? Naruto thinks it's awesome that I'm celebrating the second chapter of One Hell of a Master!**

**~Sasuke~ *rolls eyes* Whatever...can you just hurry up and present it before it really is time to say Happy New Year?**

**J-C: Naruto, go make your uke happy while I introduce this chappie.**

**Naruto: Sure thing J-C!**

**~Sasuke~ What?! No! Get the h*** away from me Naruto!**

**J-C: Alrighty everybody! I just wanted to thank everybody for their kind and wonderful reviews! I was smiling like I was insane as I read each and every one of your lovely reviews! You gave me the confidence to continue this story and I'm very pleased that so many people are supportive of the whole role reversal that's gonna happen in this story. Thanks a bunches and I LOVE YOU ALL!!! ^-^**

**Naruto: *holds onto Sasuke* Just as much as J-C loves our Warnings and Disclaimer and I love Sasuke!**

**~Sasuke~ *blushes* Dobe...**

**Disclaimer: In the year of 2010, the year of Challenges, I shall challenge the creator of Kuroshitsuji to an epic battle for possession of Kuroshitsuji. So until then, everybody keeps whatever they own.**

**Warnings: Hmmm...not that much to warn about (perhaps my New Years Resolution will be to not have as many warnings as last year...). Just watch out for language, some bits of violence, and a small display of boy on boy action (not much this chappie but it's coming readers, I promise! ^^)!**

**J-C: Quick reminder to prevent confusion! (**_2010_**) represents thoughts/flashback, (**Happy New Year!**) is regular conversation and stuff, (XXX) represents a scene change, and (resolution, _New Year, _or party) represents emphasis.**

**Naruto: Enough with the boring formalities! Let's get this party started!**

**J-C: Yosh (Alright)! Plz enjoy the 2nd chappie of One Hell of a Master!**

**Chapter 2: The Meeting**

_A smile that showed the demon's animal-like teeth spread onto Sebastian's face and each servant had to resist the urge to shiver in fear. All of a sudden, the room's temperature dropped to near freezing and all light ceased to exist in the room. Maylene's sharp eyes caught the sight of black feathers descending to mask Sebastian and everything else in the room and a bone-chilling laugh suddenly filled the room._

"_So, you really do wish to form a contract between this boy and I? Well, I accept the offering of this boy's soul. He will serve me faithfully and his body, mind, everything, now belongs to me in exchange for saving his life. You four, Tanaka, Maylene, Finnian, Bardaroy, are the replacement signers for this contract. On the day of his death, his soul will forever belong to me and he shall descend to Hell with me, with no chance of going to Heaven. While he's living, you four will have absolutely no say in what I do to him or how I treat him. If he comes to you covered in bruises and blood, you will not attempt to try and tell me I shouldn't beat him. You will only have a say in this boy's life when I say you may have a say or if he asks you about petty things. These are mine conditions for this contract. Now…Bardaroy, Finnian, Maylene, Tanaka. Do thine still wish to form this contract?" Sebastian's cold and fearful voice rang throughout the entire room. The four servants exchanged looks with one another and each one solemnly nodded their head._

"_Yes, Master. Form the contract!" Tanaka replied. A dark laugh that instantly struck fear in the servants' hearts filled the darkened and chilled room. Black feathers rose up from the floor and came to develop around where Sebastian was previously standing in his human form. The only thing that could be seen behind the curtain of feathers was Sebastian's demon revealing smile._

**XXX**

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

A pair of eyes shot open as the dark-haired boy jolted himself out of his nightmare. His eyes searched the room fearfully as he clutched the pristine white sheets between his white knuckles. His breathing was erratic and his heart rate was beating at the rate of an animal being chased by a vicious predator. He continued acting this way for a few minutes before he began to calm down. His body slowly relaxed and he took a few calming breaths. His earlier panic and fear was quickly replaced with overwhelming confusion. His head felt as if it was stuffed to the brim, almost as if he had a severe sinus infection.

_My head….it's so stuffy. Am I sick? No, I feel completely healthy._

The boy released his hold on the sheets to glance at his hand. He flexed it experimentally and nodded to himself to confirm that he was indeed completely healthy. He ran a hand through his hair as he calmly took in his surroundings. He blinked and looked around at the room he was currently residing in. The walls were covered with printed green wallpaper with small white flowers covering the green in vertical rows. There were two large windows that currently had the curtains drawn to the boy's left and there was a door that looked as if it led towards a bathroom. The boy looked to his right and noted that there was a brown desk with a matching wooden chair against the far wall. Right next to the desk was a solitary full-length mirror and directly across from the mirror was a nightstand that held the remains of a candle along with its holder.

All in all, the room was quite plain and there really wasn't anything special about it. But it also wasn't familiar; this caused the boy to panic.

_Where am I? What is this place?! Is this my home? My friend's home? Do I even have any friends? Do I even have a home? But more importantly…_

The boy cut off his frenzied thoughts as he glanced down solemnly at his hands. He continued to stare at them until they began to shake. Shakily, he raised both of the hands to his face and began to rub them around his entire head and all over his entire face. He clenched his teeth as an overwhelming feeling of alarm began to build in his chest. He began to hyperventilate and his hands stopped their roaming but never left his face.

_Who…am I?_

His eyes widened when he realized that he really didn't know who he was. He searched his mind but it seemed as if he was sifting through an impenetrable fog of unanswered questions.

"Oh my gosh! You're awake!" a scratchy voice cried from the doorway. The boy was instantly jerked from his troubled thoughts and he instantly leaped to his feet to stand on the bed. A woman that he didn't know smiled back at him as she held some folded clothes in her arms. The woman wore a dark blue dress with a white apron over the front. The dress had a white lace collar and the ends of the sleeves were white as well. The woman sported a pair of brown knee-length boots and a pair of over-sized, round, frameless glasses. Besides her bangs, the rest of the woman's purplish-colored hair was held behind a small, white hat. She looked completely harmless but the boy was fearful of her nonetheless.

"W-Who are you?" he asked fearfully but with a hint of authority. The woman blinked in slight surprise before gently smiling at the overwhelmed and greatly confused child.

"Me? Why, I am Maylene. I am the maid of this manor and I have brought you some clothes," Maylene said cheerfully as she flashed another smile at the dark-haired boy. The boy blinked as Maylene relayed her name to him. He mulled the name over in his mind and concluded that he didn't know who she was either.

"Maylene?" he questioned as he tested out her name. Even saying it verbally didn't ring any bells. But he felt that she wasn't going to harm him in any way so he slightly let his guard down. Maylene nodded eagerly as she made her way over to the nightstand beside the boy's bed. She carefully set the clothes down beside the candle before fully facing the dark-haired child.

"Well, now that you know my name, would you care to tell me yours?" Maylene asked kindly. The boy blinked at the question and he dropped the pillow he didn't realize he had been clutching to his chest. He touched two fingers to his forehead and he squeezed his eyes shut in concentration. Maylene's smile slowly dropped from her face and was replaced with a worried look.

"My…name?" the boy asked with difficulty. Maylene kept quiet and allowed the boy to have some time to think. It was clear to her observant eyes that the child was thinking quite hard and she didn't want to interrupt his thinking process. The boy searched his mind desperately and he had to swallow the lump that had developed in his throat when he came to the horrifying conclusion.

"I…don't know," he responded quietly. Maylene smiled sympathetically and sighed.

"That's okay. You don't need to push yourself. Master Michaelis said that you probably wouldn't remember anything anyway," Maylene commented brightly before quickly covering her mouth with her hands. The boy looked at the woman's reaction with curiosity. Maylene shook her head furiously and she began to nervously pace around the boy's bed.

"Ooooooh, this is bad! I shouldn't have said that! Why do I always have to run my big mouth?" Maylene asked with despair.

"Said what? And who's Master Michaelis?" the young male asked with bewilderment. Maylene froze and chanced a quick glance at the perplexed child before quickly looking away. She blushed as she nervously pushed the tips of her index fingers together.

"M-Master M-M-Mi-Michaelis? I'm not sure w-w-w-who exactly you're t-talking about," Maylene stammered. The boy raised one eyebrow before placing his hands on his hips. He pointed an accusatory finger at the flustered maid.

"Liar! You just said that Master Michaelis told you that I wouldn't remember anything," the boy said as he narrowed his eyes at Maylene. He continued to intensely stare down Maylene and the poor woman felt as if she was being sentenced to death.

_Oh, why did I open my big mouth? Master Michaelis is going to be soooooo disappointed in me, _Maylene thought. She tried to look anywhere but at the boy's eyes but she could feel her resolve quickly fading away.

Suddenly, the door to the room was swung open with so much force that Maylene and the boy noticed that the once untouched wall now sported a huge hole and several cracks. The shock of being interrupted so suddenly caused the boy to literally jump and slip on the unmade bed. With an indignant cry, the dark-haired male gracelessly tumbled onto the hard and unforgiving wooden floor.

"Maylene! Is it true that he's up?!" an excited voice called from the doorway.

"Y-Yes but…" Maylene began with a hint of relief but she was instantly cut off by another man's voice.

"Finny! You idiot! Look at what you did to the wall!"

"Heh, heh. Whoops! Sorry Bard!" Finny said apologetically. A growl from someone that the boy couldn't see could clearly be heard throughout the entire room.

"Sorry? Sorry isn't going to be enough once Master Michaelis sees what you've done to another one of his walls," the voice that the boy assumed was Bard said with annoyance. Maylene darted over to her two fellow servants and made a shushing motion with her hands. The two men blinked at the way Maylene was acting and Finny looked past the maid and around the room with confusion.

"Huh? Where's the boy?" Finny asked with puzzlement. Said boy slowly picked himself up off the floor and raised himself so that his elbows were resting on the bed and his head was clearly exposed. The boy could see two new figures had entered the room and he looked at each one warily. One of the men looked to be fairly young and had bright orange hair. He had a string tied around his neck and the boy could see that the string was attached to a fairly large straw hat. He was currently wearing a white shirt with a pair of brown trousers and he was holding a pair of garden clippers in one of his brown-gloved hands. The boy concluded that that man was a gardener of some sorts. He shifted his attention to the man standing next to the shorter one. This man was definitely the tallest in the room and he was wearing a white button up shirt with a white apron tied around his waist. Judging by the pan the muscled man had in his hand and the fact that he had some white powdery substance on his cheek, the child could concur that this man was a cook.

_So, which one is Bard and which one is Finny? _The boy tilted his head to the side and he narrowed his eyes as he tried to think of which name went with which man. As the boy was mentally debating with himself, Finny suddenly released a surprised gasp. The gardener rushed past Maylene and the boy suddenly found the gardener right in front of his face. Completely forgetting about personal space issues, Finny leaned in closer as he gazed at the clearly uncomfortable boy with unconcealed fascination.

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhh, he's really cute!" the gardener exclaimed happily.

"Idiot! You don't say that to someone you don't know!" the chef remarked disapprovingly. The orange-haired boy turned to the blond man.

"How? What's wrong with telling a cute person that they're cute?" the gardener asked with confusion. The blond man sighed and shook his head. Finny flashed the annoyed cook a bright smile before turning his attention back to the boy. The boy noticed that the gardener was avoiding eye contact with him but was staring at every other part of him. The dark-haired boy turned his attention to the cook with a question in his eyes and the blond-haired man shrugged his shoulders while also avoiding eye contact. Bard reached in the back pocket of his pants and pulled out a cigarette. He placed the cigarette between his lips and lit it with a match.

"What can I say? That's Finny's logic for ya," Bard said dismissively. Maylene suddenly reached out and snatched the cigarette from between Bard's lips. She threw it to the floor and promptly put it out with the tip of her boot. Bard shot her an enraged look and Maylene returned the glare with just as much intensity.

"You know that Master Michaelis doesn't allow smoking in his manor!" the woman screeched at the cook. Bard waved a hand dismissively at her.

"That's only when I'm around Master Michaelis. He never said anything about smoking when I'm **away** from him," Bard growled.

"Well, you should know better than to smoke in front of a lady," Maylene said with indignation. Bard sneered down at Maylene.

"Oh, I didn't know there was a lady in my presence," he commented smartly. Finny and the boy locked eyes for a moment before Finny quickly looked away. The boy blinked at Finny's reaction and he tuned out of Bard and Maylene's argument.

_Why won't anyone look at me in the eyes? Is it because we are on different status levels? Or perhaps I have ugly eyes? No, that doesn't even make sense! But still, I can't just ask why they won't look me in the eyes. That seems…rude. And why is that Master Michaelis guy such a taboo topic? Is it forbidden to speak of him in a stranger's presence? No, that can't be correct either because Bard and Maylene just mentioned his name twice in their argument. What is going on here?!?!_

Fed up with not having any answers to his questions, the boy decided to answer his own questions. The first question about his eyes would be an easy one to answer. The boy's sudden movement instantly stopped Bard and Maylene's quarrel and all three of the servant's eyes locked onto the boy. Finny was the first to realize where the boy was going to go and he instantly leaped to his feet. The short boy turned to face the gardener with surprise when he felt Finny grab his arm.

"U-um, perhaps you should change into your clothes before you look at your appearance," Finny said cheerfully as he began to drag the boy away from the mirror. The gardener shot Maylene a look asking for assistance and the maid curtly nodded her head as she made her way back over to the nightstand. The boy wrenched his arm from the gardener's grip and glared at Finny.

"Don't touch me," he said dangerously. Finny's eyes widened at the boy's words and even Bard raised an eyebrow in question. Maylene quickly sifted through the clothes she had bought for the nameless boy and a triumphant grin formed on her face when she found what she had been looking for. She firmly planted herself in the tiny boy's pathway and said boy looked up at her with annoyance. She flashed him a carefree smile before holding out her palm.

"A-a-at least wear this before you go to the mirror," Maylene reasoned. The boy blinked and looked down at the maid's outstretched hand. His eyes widened slightly when he saw a black eye patch.

_Why in the world would I need an eye patch? Both of my eyes seem to be working perfectly fine._

There was a moment of tense silence as the three servants waited to see the boy's reaction to being presented with an eye patch. Caught completely off guard, Maylene could only stare open mouthed as the boy looked up at her with the sweetest smile that she had ever seen in her life.

"Sure thing Maylene. I'll wear that eye patch," the boy began in an equally sweet voice. Maylene, Bard, and Finny all breathed a sigh of relief and Maylene took a step towards the child only to be stopped by his raised hand. The boy continued to sweetly smile as Maylene blinked in confusion at being stopped.

"If you tell me who exactly this Master Michaelis is and how he knew that I wouldn't remember anything," the child finished pleasantly. Maylene's eyes widened at the deal that he had just presented her with and she found herself in an awkward position. The child's smile never wavered as he gazed expectantly at the frozen maid. Finny and Bard exchanged a helpless glance at each other. It was never good to put Maylene in a situation like this. Without a doubt, the woman would crack under the pressure and give away everything. And that would lead to dire consequences for all of them, including Tanaka.

The four people continued to stand in a now anxious silence as everyone waited for Maylene's decision. The maid was wringing her apron between her hands nervously and her face had flushed a bright red. The boy noticed with a raised eyebrow that it seemed as if steam was coming out of her ears.

"U-u-uh, y-you see…I-I-I, ummmm, I-I-I," Maylene stuttered. The young child's smile continued to hold its position as he waited patiently for the maid to get her thoughts together.

"You…?" he coaxed gently as Maylene continued to stutter incomprehensible words. As if snapped back to reality, Maylene hung her head in shame and said quietly,

"I can't do that." The boy's smile instantly dropped from his face and was replaced with a look of cool indifference. Maylene held out the eye patch to the boy with a hopeful expression on her face while Bard and Finny silently shook their heads. The dark-haired child looked down at Maylene's outstretched hand for a few more seconds before gently pushing it away. Finny gasped as the boy nonchalantly walked past the disappointed maid towards the full-length mirror.

"Well then, I guess I can't wear that eye patch either then," the boy said uncaringly as he got closer to the mirror. Maylene panicked and looked at Bard with pleading eyes. The cook shrugged his shoulders but he went to stand in the boy's way anyway.

_Alright, now I am seriously getting annoyed by these three's behavior. Why are they trying so hard to prevent me from looking at myself in the mirror?_

Bard crossed his arms in front of his broad chest with authority and the shorter male shot him an irritated look.

"You know," the cook began thoughtfully. "If you want to grow up to be a proper gentleman, you should never insult a woman by not listening to her suggestions or requests." The child blinked before slowly smiling mischievously. Both of Bard's eyebrows rose at the boy's expression.

"I thought there wasn't a woman present in this room," the boy commented smartly. Bard's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water at the boy's statement and the child knew he had stumped the older male. Maylene cut her eyes at Bard and placed her hands on her hips as she stared him down. Finny was at a loss for words and had no idea what he could do to try and remedy the situation. The youngest person in the room brushed past the speechless cook and walked directly to the mirror. The moment he stepped in front of the mirror, all the servants shifted their attention to the boy. Certain that there was nothing wrong with his appearance and that the servants were just fooling around with him, the boy confidently looked away from them and at his own reflection.

What he saw made his blood run cold.

He was currently dressed in only a long, white, button-up shirt that seemed two sizes too big for his small and thin frame. But he only glanced at his attire for a moment. What had caused his blood to run cold was not his clothing, nor the fact that his skin seemed paler than the average person's. It wasn't even the fact that his dark-colored hair looked slightly blue in the light and that it was terribly mussed.

No.

What had caused such a reaction was his face. Not the shape of his nose, the fullness and redness of his lips, his high cheekbones, or his defined jaw line.

No.

That wasn't what haunted the boy and caused him to feel both immense fear and overpowering anger at the same time.

It was his eyes.

Not both eyes; just one eye.

His right eye.

The child reached a hand shakily up to his eye and watched in horror as his reflection imitated his motions. He gingerly touched the foreign eye and resisted the urge to scream in terror. While his left eye was a beautiful ocean blue; complete with a pupil, his right eye looked to be horribly mutilated. There was no visible pupil and it was colored a strange mauve color. Although the color and the lack of the pupil shook up the boy, what was in place of the pupil was what truly caused the boy to feel so strongly about the whole eye. He moved his hand away so that he could get a better look and he slowly moved closer to the mirror. He gulped and had to remind himself to breathe as he looked at the glowing pentagram that occupied his entire right eye.

While the boy was realizing why the servants couldn't look him directly in the eye, Finny, Bard, and Maylene watched wordlessly. They had no words of comfort to say to the boy and they really weren't sure if they should still be present or if they should quietly exit the room and allow him time to think.

Maylene's sharp eyes were the first to pick up the boy's initial trembles. Helpless to do anything, the three servants could only watch as the young male that had been so confident only seconds ago melted away to be replaced by a quivering child. The boy drew his hands together and clasped them in front of his chest as he slowly sank to the floor.

The child continued to stare into the mirror as if he was possessed and he watched with fright and fascination as his right eye remained completely motionless. He reached a shaky hand towards the glass of the mirror and he instantly drew it back as if he had burned once it had touched the cool surface of the now hated mirror. The boy continued to shake in his prayer like position for what seemed like an eternity. Just as Finny was about to try and comfort the child, he turned.

"So. This is why you couldn't look me in the eyes. Am I correct or is there another reason?" the boy said with an eerily calm voice. All three of the servants remained motionless and didn't respond to the child's question. He chuckled darkly and both Maylene and Finny shivered at the sound.

"Well, I wouldn't look at myself in the eyes either if I had **that **present in one of them," he continued in that eerily composed voice. The dark-haired boy glanced at himself in the mirror and quickly turned away with a shudder. He looked at the frozen servants in silence. Suddenly, the child began to laugh.

It started off as little coughs, almost as if he had suddenly become ill. But before long, those coughs turned into chuckles, which were quickly replaced by a laugh that held a hint of insanity. Before long, he was laughing insanely, causing the servants to feel slightly fearful for their safety. The boy pulled his knees towards his chest and wrapped his arms around his knees as he continued to laugh.

"This is certainly one twisted nightmare," the boy remarked between his psychotic giggling fits. The three adults exchanged worried glances at the child's words.

"Well, I think I've had enough of this nightmare. Ok me, I'm ready to wake up now. So, wake up!" the boy said with a now cheerful note in his voice. The boy closed his eyes and allowed both of them to remain closed for a short amount of time. When he opened them to find that he was still present in the same room with the same three people staring at him, he took a shaky breath.

"Ok, this really isn't funny. This is just a dream so I should be waking up right about now. In fact," the boy paused and crawled towards the mirror. He resisted the urge to gag when he saw his mismatched eyes and forced himself to smile.

"To prove that this is merely a dream, when I wake up, both of my eyes will be the same color and I will no longer be present in this room," he told himself confidently. He took a deep breath and tightly squeezed his eyes shut. He ignored his racing heartbeat and screamed at himself to wake up. He clenched his hands into tight fists and allowed his nails to dig into his palms. He gasped when he felt the pain and his eyes flew open.

The disappointment and despair that he felt was indescribable. He hung his head in shame and hopelessness as he saw the telltale eye. It was almost as if it was mocking him with the way it brightly glowed, allowing the whole world to notice its oddness.

_This…is not a dream. I'm…awake._

He opened his fists to see the red, crescent marks where his fingernails had dug into his skin. He continued to stare at the palms of his hands with no emotion present on his face.

"W-What is it?" the boy asked quietly. The servants were instantly jolted out of their troubled thoughts as they tried to figure out what exactly the child was asking about.

"What…is what?" Finny asked nervously. The boy's head snapped so quickly toward the gardener that Finny visibly jumped. He pointed at his abnormally colored eye while he glared intensely at Finny with his normal one.

"THIS! WHAT IS THIS!" the distraught child yelled. Finny squeaked at the boy's volume and the boy sneered at his reaction.

"Does this…thing…really frighten you that much? Come now, I know one of you three knows what this is," the boy said with a mocking tone. Maylene opened her mouth to speak but she was cut off by the boy's shout.

"WHAT IS IT?!?!" The hysterical boy leaped to his feet and he glared at each individual servant.

"It's…a symbol," Bard began softly. The boy blinked at the blond man's words before releasing a humorless laugh.

"As if I couldn't notice that it wasn't a symbol. It's clearly not a word or even an image. What is it a symbol of?" the young kid asked with impatience. Maylene nervously wrung her hands together as she opened her mouth to speak.

"I-It's a symbol o-o-of a c-c-cont-t-tract," Maylene hesitatingly replied. The youngster's attention shifted to the clearly distressed maid.

"A contract?" he asked with confusion. All three servants nodded simultaneously. The boy blinked and he turned to face himself in the mirror once more. He looked at the prominent pentagram to try and decipher exactly what kind of contract he was under. When all he could make out was a star inside of a spiked circle, he turned back towards the uncomfortable trio.

"Let me see if I'm hearing you correctly," the child began slowly. "You three are telling me that the reason that one of my eyes is no longer the mirror image of the other is because it's a symbol of a contract," he said with an even tone. The threesome nodded to confirm the kid's words. The boy mirrored the servants' reaction before turning his back on them.

_A contract? What kind of contract is present on someone physically? More importantly, what kind of contract looks so permanent? And why is this contract present in someplace where everyone can see? Perhaps that is the reason why Maylene was trying to get me to wear that eye patch. But if that is the case, why would the contract be on my eye and not on a piece of paper? Ah! This is so frustrating and confusing! I don't even remember asking to enter any contract…but then again, I don't really remember anything. Not even my own name. So how could I be part of a contract that I have no recollection of ever being a part of? And with whom did I unknowingly make a contract with in the first place?_

_The servants probably couldn't answer the majority of the questions that are whirling furiously in my already stuffy head_, the boy reasoned with himself. _But perhaps they can answer one of them._

The boy slowly turned back to Maylene, Bard, and Finny. The adults tried to seem as nonthreatening as possible. From the way he had been acting moments ago, they didn't want to trigger another insane reaction from him.

"Who?"

The servants' confused looks caused the already stressed boy to release a sigh of frustration. He motioned at his right eye as he spoke.

"Who made this contract with me?" he asked again. He noted that Bard had shifted his feet uncomfortably when he had asked that question, so he could tell that at least one of them knew the answer to his question.

_If these guys really want to help me out, why won't they just outright answer my question? Could it be that they are forbidden to speak about it? No, that doesn't seem quite right because Maylene and Bard were both able to tell me that I had a contract present in my eye. If something was forbidden, they wouldn't have been able to tell me even that vague piece of information. So whoever made a contract with me must be someone that has great power over those three. But who could have so much control that he/she has the power to take away a person's right to answer a fellow man's question?_

A flash of understanding suddenly lit up the child's untouched eye and the trio knew that the boy had figured out the answer to his own question.

"Is it…Master Michaelis? Is that the one that I have a contract with?" the youngster asked cautiously. He was only asking this question because he wanted to be certain that he wasn't jumping to any rash conclusions. He waited for one of the servants to confirm that what he had just spoken was correct but none of them made a move to verify or deny his statement.

"W-What the hell?!" the boy suddenly cried out. "Why in the world would that man enter a contract with me?! I don't even know him yet he knows that I don't remember anything?! What kind of contract am I part of?!" he shouted with frustration. He glared at the threesome when none of them chose to answer his questions. He clenched his hands into fists by his side and a look of determination suddenly became present on his previously lost and confused face. Bard was the first to react when the dark-haired child suddenly whirled around and made his way to the open doorway.

"H-Hey! Where do you think you're going?!" The boy only paused for one second to look back over his shoulder at the trio.

"Well, since none of you three are any help with answering my questions, I'm just going to have to ask this Master Michaelis these questions myself," he answered arrogantly before turning to stride boldly out of the room. The three servants exchanged frantic looks before they all darted after the short boy.

"B-But, y-y-you don't e-e-e-even know where M-M-Master Michaelis is!" Maylene cried desperately. The boy's response to her statement was to open the closest door and peer inside. When he found no one present, he swiftly closed it and continued on his way. As he opened another door to reveal a guest room, he chose to respond.

"Then I'm just going to have to search this entire "manor" until I find him," he said with resolve. Bard's eyebrows rose in surprise at the boy's answer. There had to be hundreds of rooms in the Michaelis manor.

_Yet, this child is going to look in every room until he finds him? He really __**is**__ crazy!_

For some odd reason, every time the boy was about to open another door, an inner voice would tell him that Master Michaelis wasn't in there. In fact, it seemed as if that inner voice was trying to lead him to where he could find the master of this manor. The three servants continued to follow the determined child as he marched through several hallways and opened countless doors. Annoyed by their presence, the boy sharply turned to face them.

"What do you three think you're doing?" he asked with impatience.

"Master Michaelis told us that our jobs for the day were to follow you and help you get comfortable," Finny answered quietly. The boy's eyes widened at the gardener's statement. He smirked and waved his hand dismissively.

"You don't need to worry about my comfort Finny. I won't be staying for long anyway. As soon as I have a word with this Master Michaelis about this contract I'm apparently under, I will disappear from your lives," he said uncaringly as he turned to continue his search.

"Y-You can't just leave!" Maylene suddenly screeched before quickly covering her mouth with her hands. The dark-haired kid paused for a few seconds before suddenly throwing open another door. He slammed the door closed to the empty bathroom and continued on his hunt.

_We'll just see about that now won't we Maylene?_

All of a sudden, a sharp wave of coldness traveled down the boy's spine, causing the child to gasp with surprise. He shivered at the feeling and that annoying inner voice told him to turn to his left. Realizing that he was at an intersection of two hallways, the child decided to listen to his intuition and turned. His eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat when he saw a pair of double doors at the end of the intersecting hall. As if in a trance, the boy turned to face the doors before he began to slowly walk towards them. He didn't hear the sound of the other servants' footsteps and wondered where they could've disappeared to.

As the distance between him and the double doors shortened, the boy felt his mouth run dry and his heartbeat began to speed up. As if to match his quickening heart rate, he found that his legs began to move faster as well. He wasn't even sure why he was running towards a pair of doors but for some unknown reason, he just knew that Master Michaelis was behind those doors. The mere thought of his name caused the child to feel a rush of anger.

_This is the man I'm under a contract with, _he thought as he began to run even faster. _This is the man who knows that I can't remember anything. _He was now sprinting and the space between him and the doors was quickly fading away. _This is the man who has great power over three of my fellow people. _He was breathing erratically now and his blood was now running hot with anger. One final thought ran through his mind as his hand touched the ice-cold doorknob.

_This is the man who destroyed my eye._

With strength that would make Finny proud, the boy threw open the door and charged into the room. He was greeted with the back of a large chair that was currently facing towards the open window. There was a fire that was currently burning brightly in a fireplace to the boy's right and hanging directly over it was a picture of Her Majesty and the late King of England. If the boy hadn't known any better, he would've thought that this was just another empty room but he **knew** that the man he was looking for was in that chair. With adrenaline coursing throughout his entire body, the boy clenched his fists by his side and mustered all of his strength to say two words with as much control as possible.

"Master Michaelis."

Those two words hung tensely in the air for what seemed like an eternity but were most likely only a few seconds. The boy continued to glare at the back of the chair; the sudden squeak of the chair turning slowly to face him caused the child to feel a sense of anticipation.

"Well," a smooth voice began as the chair continued to turn agonizingly slow towards the panting boy.

"We finally meet," the voice paused before the chair turned to fully face the angered child.

"Ciel Phantomhive," the man finished with a smile. The boy's breath hitched and he found himself at a loss for words as he finally saw the face of Master Michaelis. Although the pale man had a charming smile currently present on his face, the man's eerily red eyes held absolutely no emotion whatsoever. A dark and evil aura seemed to surround the man and for some unknown reason, the boy felt sudden fear. He quickly swallowed that fear and transferred as much of his anger as he could into his one eye as he glared at the smiling master.

"H-How," the boy now known as Ciel Phantomhive began unsurely. He inwardly cursed himself for stuttering and vowed to himself that he wouldn't show any more weakness to the man in the chair.

A quizzical look developed on Sebastian's perfect face before quickly being replaced with a look of understanding.

"How did I know your name? Is that what you want to know?" Sebastian asked coyly as he leaned forward in his chair. Ciel nodded wordlessly and the master of the manor smirked knowingly.

"There are a lot of things that I know about you Ciel. More than you probably kno-…excuse me, remember about yourself," Sebastian remarked cheerfully. Struck dumb by the man's words, Ciel felt a growing sense of unease as Master Michaelis continued to stare directly into his eyes. Suddenly, the pale man held up a slip of paper in one of his white gloved hands. Ciel's eyes widened as he saw a picture of himself in the corner of the yellowing piece of paper.

"Is that…me?" Ciel asked breathlessly as he gazed awe-struck at a very current photo of himself. Sebastian smirked his open-mouthed smirk before turning the piece of paper to face him.

"That's the same question I asked myself as I searched through the birth records of every male child that was born about 12 years ago," the man began slowly, almost as if he was reminiscing about a wonderful memory.

"Could that be the child laying in one of my guest beds down the hall? Is he the one that has a terrible limp? A missing tooth? Is he the one who is currently doing poorly in school or is he an overachiever? Does he have short or long hair? Brown or green eyes?" Sebastian listed off the questions he had asked himself as he flipped through Ciel's birth record. Ciel shifted impatiently as he waited for the man to tell him how he figured out his name.

"Finally, after sifting through hundreds of children, I narrowed down my search to two possible candidates. A Samuel Portersworth and a Ciel Phantomhive," Sebastian paused again and Ciel took a shaky breath before speaking.

"So how did you decide between the two? What if you're incorrect and I'm really Samuel Portersworth?" Ciel asked with a slight hint of impatience. Even though deep down he knew that he really **was** Ciel Phantomhive, he still wanted to know exactly how this complete and total stranger was able to figure out his identity.

Sebastian smiled confidently before pulling another yellowing piece of paper off of a large stack of papers. He held up the two pieces of paper and Ciel gasped.

"They look exactly the same!" he cried out. Sebastian nodded once before turning the pieces of paper to face him once again.

"That's exactly what I thought when I looked at these two boys. They could possibly be identical twins, separated at birth. However," Sebastian paused and set the two pieces of paper down on his cluttered desk. He raised his gloved index finger and tapped his forehead as he winked knowingly at the confused child.

"There was one critical difference," he said. When it seemed as if the man wasn't going to continue without some form of encouragement, Ciel motioned to the pieces of paper.

"What was the difference?" Sebastian smirked as he slowly stood up from his chair. He walked towards the boy and only stopped when he was directly in front of Ciel. Ciel became painfully aware of the height difference that was between him and the older male for he only came up to Master Michaelis' 2nd button on his crisp, white, button-up shirt. Ciel could hear the rustle of a piece of paper and he could see in his peripheral vision that the taller male had placed the paper with his picture beside his face. He suddenly felt the soft material of Master Michaelis' gloves on his chin as Sebastian gently tilted the younger boy's face so that he was looking directly into the powerful man's unnaturally red eyes.

An uncomfortable feeling fluttered in Ciel's chest and he made sure to not let that emotion present itself in his one normal eye.

"Samuel Portersworth has brown eyes," Sebastian said lowly. He continued to gaze intensely into Ciel's eyes as the shorter boy wordlessly gazed into his own.

"Ciel Phantomhive, however," Sebastian drawled slowly. He leaned down so that his lips were directly in line with one of Ciel's ears.

"His eyes are blue," he whispered softly. Ciel shivered at the feel of the older man's hot breath on his ear and he was relieved when Sebastian released his hold on his chin and began to walk towards the window. Ciel stared speechlessly at the man's retreating back as his mind tried to process the new information Master Michaelis had just presented him with. He tore his eyes from the man and looked down at his bare feet in thought.

_So, my name is Ciel Phantomhive. I'm 12 years old and the way Master Michaelis was able to discover my identity was by searching through every male child's birth record that was about my age. I'm a little relieved that now I know my name and age, but I'm also slightly confused. Why in the world would this random stranger go through so much trouble just to find out my identity?_

"Tanaka was right. You really are a beautiful boy," was the statement that jolted Ciel out of his turbulent thoughts. Caught completely off guard, the dark-haired boy felt his cheeks slightly heat up at Sebastian's statement. Sebastian smirked as he turned to face the somewhat blushing boy.

"Who's Tanaka?" Ciel asked in an attempt to change the topic. That was the second time today that he had been complimented on his looks and he wasn't entirely sure why, but the older man's statement embarrassed him more than Finny's statement had.

Sebastian blinked at the sudden change of topic before a bored expression presented itself on his flawless face.

"He's my butler. He's right over there," Sebastian said in an equally bored tone.

"Ho, ho," Tanaka "said" as he sat with his legs tucked underneath him and a cup of steaming green tea in-between his hands. Ciel blinked at the old man's behavior and Sebastian sighed.

"As you can clearly see, Tanaka is completely useless to me in his current state. But he should be fine in a few hours," Sebastian commented.

"Ho, ho, ho, ho."

"What's wrong with him?" Ciel asked uncertainly as he turned to face the black-haired man. Sebastian rested his chin in the palm of his gloved hand as he turned to examine Tanaka. The old butler looked right back at Sebastian and the pale man shrugged his shoulders before shuffling a stack of papers.

"Who knows? Now Ciel, is talking about one of my servants what you burst so rudely into my study to discuss?" Sebastian asked in a patronizing tone. Ciel flinched before glaring at Master Michaelis. Ciel strode boldly over to the man's desk and crossed his arms in front of his chest as he looked levelly at the now writing man.

"No. I have some questions for you, Master Michaelis," Ciel finished in a mocking tone. One of Sebastian's eyebrows raised at the tone of the young boy's voice but he continued calmly writing on one of the several sheets of paper that were spread out over his desk.

"Oh? Questions you say. And what exactly are these questions?" Sebastian asked with a hint of interest as he signed an order to close down one of his factories in Scotland.

"Why did you go through all that trouble of trying to figure out who I was?" Ciel began. Without pause, Sebastian reached for another stack of papers and began to read the first page of one of his employee's complaints.

"That's an easy question. I want to know a little background history about the person who I've made a contract with," Sebastian said tonelessly as he dipped his feather pen in some ink and began writing a response to the irritating employee's complaints.

The mere mention of the contract that had mutilated one of Ciel's eyes caused him to feel white-hot anger towards the emotionless man sitting before him. Suddenly, Ciel slammed his hands down onto the expensive wooden desk. The force of the impact caused the bottle of black ink to spill over and the dark liquid quickly spread all over the paper that the pale man had just been writing on. With a look of composure, the raven-haired man locked eyes with the angered child.

"What is this contract that you speak so lightly of? And when did I agree to become a part of this contract? Why did you do this to my eye to show that I am under a contract with you?" The questions continued to flow out from Ciel's lips like water out of a broken faucet. Even though it wasn't possible for the man to answer all his questions with the speed that he was spewing them from his mouth, the black-haired child continued without pause.

"How did you know that I wouldn't remember anything? What kind of power do you have over Bard, Finny, and Maylene? Why did you instruct them to watch me all day long so that I could get comfortable? Why do I need to get comfortable? And what exactly is up with this study? It's so depressing!" Ciel instantly shut his mouth and Master Michaelis chuckled at the boy's last statement. Still chuckling, the taller man got up from his position in the plush chair and made his way over to the open window. With his back to Ciel and his hands held behind his back, the master of the manor began to answer the boy's questions at the exact same speed.

"I knew you wouldn't remember anything because of the large crack that was present in your skull. The area where it was present is a part of the brain that controls a person's memory and I could tell that yours was severely damaged. Bard, Finny, and Maylene are my faithful, albeit useless, servants. The only power I have over them is the power of the master-servant relationship. I instructed them to watch you so that you could be comfortable with your new home," Sebastian explained calmly. Ciel's eyes widened at the older man's last answer.

_My new…home? Exactly what kind of contract am I part of?_

With a charming smile, Master Michaelis turned to face the smaller child.

"As for why my study looks the way it does, I just like things to be depressing. It's good for business. No distractions from pretty things and no need to throw around pointless compliments. Just straight business, like it should be," the pale man said wistfully. Ciel's eyes narrowed when he noticed that the taller man hadn't answered any of his questions about the contract. Sebastian blinked innocently when he noticed Ciel's unsettled expression.

"Is something troubling you?" he asked innocently. Ciel took a bold step towards the darkly dressed man.

"You didn't answer any of my questions about this contract," he commented with a hint of anger. Master Michaelis sighed as if he was dealing with a troubling child before he made his way past Ciel. The dark-haired boy was unperturbed by the older man's actions and continued to call out after his retreating form.

"What is this contract? What is my role in this contract? Why did you enter a contract with me in the first place? What are you gaining from being a part of this contract?" Ciel called out. He was shaking now and his anger was beginning to show at the man's lack of interest in what he was saying. Without a backward glance, the depressing business man continued to head towards the open doorway. Ciel clenched his hands into fists and angrily followed the taller man. Just as the older male was about to pass through the open door, Ciel daringly reached out his hand and grabbed onto the back of Master Michaelis' black tailcoat. With unconcealed surprise, the master of the manor turned to face the undeterred boy. Without releasing his hold on the expensive clothing, Ciel asked his final question.

"How can I get out of this contract and make it void?" he asked determinedly. If the pale man had been surprised before, he was astounded now. He never thought that Ciel would ask how to break the contract he had with him.

When Ciel noticed that he wasn't answering his question, his anger finally broke through his mask of composure.

"Answer me when I'm talking to you Michaelis!" he shouted. The look of surprise that was present on the richer man's face was quickly replaced with one of disapproval. With one hand, he swiftly closed the large door to his study and with the other he grabbed hold of the shorter boy's wrist. With a surprised gasp, Ciel instantly released his hold on the man's jacket. He looked up defiantly to order him to release him but the look in the man's blood-red eyes warned him not to speak.

"Firstly, my name is not Michaelis. My full name is Sebastian Michaelis. Secondly," his grip tightened on Ciel's wrist and the young boy resisted the urge to cry out. "You shall **never** call me by name. You will only refer to me as Master or Sir. Because," with a deceivingly kind smile, the man now known to Ciel as Sebastian, suddenly threw the thin child to the farthest wall. With a startled and pained cry, the boy hit the merciless wall with great force. Ciel instantly crumpled to the ground as he gasped for air. The force of his impact with the wall had left him feeling dizzy and his eyes were focusing in and out as he tried to clear his head. He couldn't help but flinch at the sound of Sebastian's shoes clicking against the carpeted floor.

Sebastian knelt down in front of the injured child and he reached out to grab Ciel's chin. Ciel glared up at the calm man as Sebastian locked eyes with him.

"You are my pet and only I decide your destiny," Sebastian said seriously. Both of Ciel's eyes widened with shock at the man's words before he narrowed his eyes at the now smiling male. Ciel smacked Sebastian's hand away and continued to look at him with a look of insolence.

"Don't touch me!" Ciel said with authority.

An open-mouth smirk developed on the male's unblemished face and Ciel felt a sense of dread at his expression but he didn't allow that emotion to present itself to Sebastian. With an unreal speed, Ciel suddenly found himself lying on his back with a still smiling Sebastian perched above him. The boy began to struggle to get up but he found that both of his wrists were held down by the pale man.

"What do you think you're doing?! Let go of me this instant!" Ciel cried with outrage. Master Michaelis chuckled darkly at the child's order and he tightened his grip on the boy's delicate wrists. He took silent delight when he saw the bold child wince in pain and a demon-revealing smile slowly spread onto his face.

"Why, I'm training my pet," Sebastian answered with mock surprise. Despite the position Ciel was currently in, he tried to regain control of the situation.

"Stop calling me your pet and release me at on-"

"But I am just calling you what you are. That is what the contract states and that is what the symbol that is glowing so brightly in your eye represents. It marks you as my pet and my loyal servant. That is the price for me saving your life and restoring you to perfect health," Sebastian stated.

"What kind of contract is present phy-"

"I will answer that question at a later time."

"No! You will answer my question n-"

"BE SILENT!" Sebastian suddenly yelled.

"NO! I DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO Y-"

"That's an order," Sebastian finished. Ciel opened his mouth to retort when suddenly a white-hot flash of pain that originated from his right eye shot through his entire body. The pain was mind blowing and the strong-willed child couldn't hold back a scream of pain. It just hurt so much; as if he was being burned alive and shot with thousands of lead bullets at the exact same time. Sebastian watched as the boy writhed in obvious pain beneath him and he smirked when Ciel finally stilled. The pain he had just gone through left the defiant Phantomhive panting and sweating underneath a still smiling Sebastian. With as much effort as he could, Ciel turned his head so that he was glaring directly into now eerily glowing scarlet orbs.

Sebastian released one of the weakened child's wrists and he used his teeth to rid himself of his spotless glove. He held up his bare hand and Ciel's breath hitched when he saw the mirror image of the symbol in his eye glowing on the back of Sebastian's hand.

"I also bear the sign of the contract. The contract that has bound your body, your mind, your emotions, and most importantly," Sebastian paused for dramatic effect, "your soul, to me." Ciel's eyes widened at the man's words. His soul only belonged to God! No other human could have possession of another human's soul.

"You shouldn't be so surprised my pet. A soul is just a small price to pay for making a deal with a demon," Sebastian said simply. A cold feeling suddenly appeared in Ciel's chest and the boy found it hard to breathe.

_A demon?!?! He's a demon?! Why in the world would I make a contract with a demon? This can't be true! I would never make a deal with such an evil being! Never!_

As if reading Ciel's thoughts, the demon known as Sebastian Michaelis chuckled.

"Ah, but it is true. You belong to me Ciel Phantomhive. You most likely don't remember this, but you appeared on my doorstep in the pouring rain, so close to death that I had already thought you were dead. However, you surprised me and somehow you were alive, despite the physical condition of your body. At the request of your fellow mortals, I saved your life by restoring your body to a healthy condition. In exchange for my healing you, you signed over your entire life and soul over to me. That is the basis of our contract," Sebastian relayed.

Once he was finished with his short speech, the supernatural being released his hold on Ciel and moved into a standing position. He looked down on the motionless child and waited patiently for the boy to respond. A quiet murmuring of unintelligible words could be heard and Sebastian asked for the child to repeat himself. Ciel slowly sat up and looked with undeterred resolve into Sebastian's once again bloody orbs.

"Kill me," he said seriously. Sebastian raised his eyebrows at the boy's request. He slowly shook his head in disbelief. Ciel shakily got to his feet and firmly stood his ground.

"I don't want to be a part of this contract. I would rather be dead than serve the likes of you," he spat venomously. Sebastian chuckled and Ciel could feel his previous anger returning.

"What's so funny?!" he demanded. Sebastian's chuckles ceased as he made his way back over to his original position in his chair. Once he was settled, Sebastian looked Ciel directly in the eyes.

"You really want to go to Hell that badly?" he asked seriously. Ciel's heart stopped and his blood ran cold at the demon's words.

"Excuse me?!" he asked. He cursed himself as he heard his voice crack. Sebastian smirked.

"You really should've allowed me to finish. At the time of your death, your soul instantly belongs to me. In other words, you will accompany me to the depths of Hell and reside there for all of eternity, with no chance of going to Heaven. Those were the final conditions of the contract we have," Sebastian stated coolly. The boy felt panic rise in his chest at Sebastian's words.

"N-no way! You can't do this!" Ciel cried. Sebastian ignored the boy's cries as he began to clean up the ink that had spilled all over the desk with an old handkerchief. In a complete act of desperation, Ciel darted over to Sebastian and clung on to his arm. Shocked by the boy's actions, Sebastian ceased cleaning and focused his attention on the frantic child.

"You can't keep me here against my will! My parents won't allow it! They will come looking for me and when they c-"

"They won't be coming for you Ciel," Sebastian cut in calmly. Ciel released his hold on the man's sleeve.

"You don't know that!" he cried.

"Ah, but I do my pet. For you see, your parents are dead," Sebastian said knowingly. With those four words, Ciel's world froze. He felt his mind and body go numb as he slowly backed away from Sebastian. He raised his hands to his face in a protective gesture and shook his head wildly.

"No…that can't be. Y-You're lying!" Ciel screamed forlornly. Sebastian watched emotionlessly as the child crumpled to the ground. The gravity of the situation had finally hit the boy, and it had hit him hard. Even though he didn't want to believe it, he knew that what the demon had spoken of was in fact true.

With all hope of rescue and escape harshly torn away from the young child's grasp, Ciel felt his whole world grow cold and dark. Even in death, he wouldn't be able to escape this demon's grasp and the forlorn child curled in on himself in despair.

The demon watched with satisfaction as Ciel suffered through the truth of the situation. The boy was lying on the carpet of his study in the fetal position while he uncontrollably shook. He wasn't at all surprised by the child's reaction to his words. He had expected nothing less from him and he actually felt a sense of pride of finally breaking the boy's spirit.

However, he was surprised by how fast Ciel recovered from his breakdown.

With no emotion present on his young face, Ciel got back onto his feet and turned away from the impassive being.

"One moment, my pet. I'm not quite done with you yet," Sebastian called as Ciel began to exit the room. Ciel gasped with surprise when he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around his waist. He could feel Sebastian's head rest on his shoulder and he trembled when he felt the male's hot breath on the side of his face. When the demon's hands started roaming over Ciel's body, the boy began to wiggle uncomfortably. He couldn't recall a time when he had been touched in such a way but he knew that he didn't like the feeling one bit. When one of Sebastian's hands unexpectedly traveled under his nightshirt, Ciel wrenched out of the older "man's" grip. With a flushed face, Ciel clutched his arms as he stared at the demon.

"W-What are you doing Se-, I mean Master?" Ciel quickly corrected himself. Ciel watched as his master smirked before pulling him into another embrace. He leaned down to whisper into Ciel's ear once more.

"I'm examining my handiwork. It would be terrible if I placed a bone the wrong way or positioned an internal organ in the incorrect part of your organ systems," Sebastian whispered cheerfully. Ciel's eyes widened at his words. Sebastian leaned back so that he was looking at the child's still blushing face.

"What did you think I was doing?" he asked quizzically. Ciel quickly looked away in shame and Sebastian chuckled at his very innocent reaction. Immediately, Sebastian's hands resumed their inspection of the younger's body and Ciel stiffly endured the entire process. He had to continually scream at himself not to show any reaction whenever one of the demon's hands happened to touch a particularly "sensitive" part of his body. The smirk never left Sebastian's face as he continued his examination of his pet's body. From what he could feel, he had healed everything correctly and it seemed as if everything was functioning perfectly.

_Seems like I'm one hell of a healer, _Sebastian thought jokingly. Ciel's face erupted in a bright red blush when one of Sebastian's fingers poked at his entrance. Thankfully, the digit didn't stay in the area for long and Ciel resisted the urge to sigh with relief when Sebastian finally pulled away.

"It seems as if everything is perfectly fine. You are one-hundred percent healthy my pet," Sebastian reported with a smile. Ciel's eyebrow twitched with annoyance at being called a pet but he forced himself to smile at his master.

"Is there anything else my Master needs me for?" Ciel asked dutifully. Sebastian placed the tip of his gloved index finger to his chin as if he was in deep thought. After hours of waiting (it was really only a minute or two), Sebastian waved a hand to signal that Ciel could leave. Succeeding in not showing the demon his relief at leaving his presence, Ciel calmly turned and walked away. As Ciel's hand touched the brass doorknob that had changed his entire world, Sebastian made one last request.

"Make sure to be prepared for tomorrow my pet. I do not condone lateness, rudeness, or states of undress," Sebastian said slyly. Ciel's face heated up at the last statement but he refused to show Sebastian that his words had affected him. With a curt nod, Ciel opened the door and walked out of the devil's lair.

_There will be no tomorrow_, Ciel thought slyly as he walked briskly down the darkening corridor. Surprisingly, he had spent several hours in Sebastian's study and he needed to make up for last time as quickly as possible.

**XXX**

Sebastian sighed with boredom as the rain began falling onto the spotless window.

"Tell me Tanaka. Does it never cease to rain at night in England?" Sebastian asked with mock despair. The old butler smiled wisely.

"We are in the rainy season Master Michaelis. If it didn't rain every night, we would experience quite a drought and eventually run out of food," Tanaka commented. Sebastian rolled his eyes and tiredly ran a hand through his raven locks. Today had been quite a day.

Thinking that Ciel wouldn't awaken for at least a few more days, Sebastian had counted on today to be another humdrum and uneventful day. But the boy had proven his uniqueness by bursting into his study and instantly demanding answers to his questions. A small smile found its way onto Sebastian's face when he thought of the way the rebellious boy had acted. He had never had a pet like this one. Usually, the pets he would choose would be quiet, obedient, forlorn, depressed, or completely emotionless. They would bend to his every whim without a second thought and never once complain or demand answers. Ciel was and did none of these.

And Sebastian couldn't wait to change that.

_I can see that this is going to be quite a game that my pet and I will engage in, _Sebastian thought with satisfaction.

Maylene was the first to enter the room but she was followed closely by Bard and Finny. All three of the servants were out of breath and both Sebastian and Tanaka gave the trio a look of surprise. Finny was the first to regain his breath and straightened his posture before telling Sebastian the news.

"Master Michaelis! The boy…he's gone!" Finny cried. While Tanaka showed utter astonishment at the gardener's declaration, a slow demon-revealing smile appeared on Sebastian's face.

"What should we do about this situation Master Michaelis?" Bard asked seriously. Sebastian fixed his gaze on his three loyal servants before slowly getting up from his chair. He strode smoothly over to the trio and flashed them his most friendly smile.

"You three will do absolutely nothing. **I** will handle this," Sebastian said with authority. He began to walk past the put down servants before he turned to look over his shoulder at Tanaka.

"Bring me my overcoat and prepare a warm bath for my return," he stated. Tanaka placed a gloved hand over his chest and bowed slightly.

"Yes, my lord."

"Finnian, Maylene, Bardaroy," Sebastian listed. The threesome's heads perked up at hearing their names and they eagerly turned to look at their master.

"Make sure not to destroy the mansion while I'm gone," he said charmingly. Maylene instantly blushed while Bard clicked his teeth in annoyance at his master's words. Only Finny looked genuinely happy to be given such an order.

"Yes Master Michaelis!" he cried eagerly.

Sebastian turned away from his four faithful servants and he slowly walked down the darkened corridor. He couldn't resist smiling his revealing smile and if someone had been in the hall and turned to see him, they would've saw his eyes change to a swirling scarlet.

_Well, it seems as if this game has just gotten a little more interesting._

_

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_

**J-C: WHEW! I finished at a reasonable time!**

**~Sasuke~ That's a pretty long chappie J-C...**

**J-C: I know right! I felt as if I lost all feeling in my fingers when I finished typing, but I'm glad I finished!**

**Naruto: I'm sure your readers are too!**

**J-C: Speaking of readers, I really hope you guys enjoyed this chappie as much as my first one! I really put a lot of effort into this one and I hope that I kept the characters as IC as possible. I spent an entire week trying to think of the best way to approach the whole Sebastian meeting Ciel and vice-versa thingie so I hope my massive amount of brainstorming worked out perfectly! **

**Naruto: Now that you're done brainstorming about this ficcie, do you think you'll actually update your other story about yours truly?**

**J-C: Um...maybe?**

**Naruto: *squeezes Sasuke to death* Did you hear that 'Suke?! J-C's gonna finally update Broken! We should totally make out to celebrate that and the fact that it's New Years!**

**~Sasuke~ She said maybe and no way in h- *cut off by Naruto's lips covering his own***

**J-C: *stares* well...um, uh, yea. A-Anyway, I just really want to thank my lovely readers for waiting so patiently for this ficcie! You guys really don't know how much I love receiving reviews from you! It really lifts my spirits and makes me uber happy! It actually improved one of my really bad days! As for my anonymous reviewers, I hope you guys don't mind if I respond to your reviews at the very bottom of this ficcie. If you do mind, just tell me if you choose to review this fic and I won't do it anymore. And for everyone else who has enjoyed reading this ficcie, I really, really, really, hope you leave me a review and tell me what you think! I really can't tell how I'm doing with this story if I don't hear your guys' feedback! So plz review!!! Oh yea, one more thing! *pokes Naruto in the back and breaks up makeout session***

**Naruto: From all of us to you,**

**~Sasuke~ We wish everyone a**

**~J-C/Naruto/Sasuke~: HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

**~Naruto/Sasuke~ *resume furiously making out***

**J-C: *suffers massive fan girl induced nosebleed* Ja ne everybody! ^^**

**

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**

Krystal: **Who would've thought a four letter word could mean so much to a writer like me? But seriously, I'm really happy that you feel that way about this ficcie! I hope that feeling doesn't fade as you continue (hopefully?) to read this ficcie! Thankies so much for your review! ^^**

chu chu banato!: **Yeah, it took a lot for me to write something so dark, especially when it's about one of my fav anime characters. But I'm very glad that you appreciate my effort at writing a darker than normal fic. I hope that the wait for this chappie was worth it and I really appreciate your review! ^^**

ryoka-chan: **I hope I didn't disappoint you with the meeting of Ciel and Sebastian. I'm glad that you think I started off really good and I hope that you are as satisfied with the 2nd chappie as you were with the first! Thankies! ^^**


	3. The Challenge

**J-C: OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!!!!!!!!! *has an extreme spazz attack***

**~Sasuke~ Uh, Naruto...**

**Naruto: I got it... *smacks J-C in the back of the head***

**J-C: Thanks Naruto but that freakin' hurt!!!!**

**Naruto: Sorry J-C...**

**~Sasuke~ So why exactly are you spazzing like the spazz you are?**

**J-C: Because I just found out that the 2nd season of Kuroshitsuji is airing on January 31st!!!!!!!! *squeals excitedly***

**Naruto: Awesome!!!**

**~Sasuke~ Hn...**

**J-C: I know!!!! I'm just so psyched about it! So to celebrate my fav anime besides Naruto, I've decided to update One Hell of a Master a little bit ahead of schedule!**

**Naruto: *gasps* J-C's doing something early! It's the apocolypse!!!!!**

**~Sasuke~ Naruto, it's not that serious...**

**Naruto: We have to do _it_ before the world ends. Right now!!!!**

**~Sasuke~ What the hell?!?! No you baka I'm not going to have se-**

**Naruto: *grabs Sasuke and begins to furiously kiss him***

**J-C: Ummmmmmm, gosh I really want to watch that but I should probably introduce this chappie first. Here we go folks! For what may be the final time due to the end of the world, come on out Disclaimer and Warnings!**

**Disclaimer: When the day that the world ends comes around, that will be the day I own Kuroshitsuji. But until then, I own nothing!**

**Warnings: Violence will drop from the sky, sexual situations/themes will come riding from the horizon, language will flood the lands, a potential rape will tumble from the mountain tops and cliff sides, and BOYxBOY action (sorta) will shine for all the world to see!**

**J-C: Also, thoughts are (**_apocolypse_**), regular dialogue/stuff is (**end of the world!!!!**), scene changes is (XXX), and emphasis is either (RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!!, _Day of reckoning, _or HOLY S***!) Everybody on board? Alrighty then, I now present the 3rd chapter of One Hell of a Master!**

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**Chapter 3: The Challenge**

The crash of thunder and the blinding flash of lightning were Ciel's only warnings before a tree a few feet away fell to the ground. The ground shook for several seconds and Ciel held onto a tree as he fought to keep his balance. He closed his eyes as tightly as possible against the rain that pelted relentlessly on his small body. When the ground finally stopped its insistent shaking, Ciel gritted his teeth and pushed away from the tree.

He wasn't sure how long he had been traveling since he had snuck out of the Michaelis manor but he knew that it was fairly late in the evening. Judging by the darkness that surrounded the young Phantomhive, Ciel estimated that it was close to midnight.

_My "master" must be tucked in underneath his expensive bed sheets and resting peacefully on his luxurious mattress by now. I'm home free!_

Ciel smirked at the image of the foreboding man snuggled like a little child in his bed. There was no way in hell that he was going to go back to that psycho man and his even crazier manor. Ciel shivered at the memory of his confrontation with the older gentleman and slightly quickened his pace. Even though he highly doubted that his "master" would even dream to search for him in this kind of weather, he wasn't going to take any chances.

Ciel squinted as he carefully picked his way through the leaf-strewn undergrowth. He made sure to be cautious so that he avoided any injury. There was a slight chill in the air and Ciel hugged his thin overcoat to himself as he trudged through the dripping forest.

_If I continue to head in this general direction, I should eventually come to some sort of road,_ Ciel thought. _Once I come to the road, I shall pick a direction that hopefully will lead me straight into London. When I arrive in London, I will head straight to the constable and report that Sebastian Michaelis. If all goes as planned, that crazy master will be locked up and I will be free to… _Ciel's train of thought paused. _Hm…what will I be free to do? Well, the most logical thing to do would be to try and find a place of employment. That way, I will eventually earn enough money to buy some sort of suitable accommodations. From there on, I can live a completely normal life with a fresh start. Although…it would be nice to know something about my past. What if I happen to run into someone that remembers me yet I don't remember them? What can I tell them? "I apologize, but I do not remember you in the slightest. Perhaps we can discuss my past over a cup of tea?" No, that's absolutely ridiculous!_

Ciel instantly froze when he heard the sound of a twig snap. He looked down at his mud covered shoes and knew that it couldn't have possibly been him that had made that sound. He was standing in a small patch of grass; there were no twigs whatsoever. Ciel remained in his position and breathed shallowly. He was thankful that he wasn't traveling on the open road at this moment because at least he had the opportunity to hide in the thick woods if necessary.

When the boy heard no other alarming sounds, he released a relieved sigh.

_It must've been my imagination_, Ciel thought dismissively. He chuckled nervously before quietly continuing his midnight trek through the woods. Just as Ciel began to relax, another blinding blaze of light ripped through the night sky. The dark-haired boy gasped as the temporary light source revealed the shadow of a man on a nearby tree trunk. After the lightning bolt faded, Ciel could still sense the other person's presence. Swallowing his fear, the young child turned to face his pursuer. He suppressed the urge to sigh contentedly at the sight of a portly man.

_Thank goodness! For a second there, I thought that Sebastian was my pursuer. However, I can't let my guard down around this man either. _The overweight man smiled toothily at Ciel before tipping his rain-drenched hat to him.

"Good evening to you lad," the man stated in a strong Irish accent. "What's a small boy like you doing out in a big storm like this?" he inquired. Ciel raised an eyebrow at the question.

"I could ask you the same thing," he responded coolly. The Irish man laughed gaily at his comment.

"Ay, you're a sharp one," the man said with amusement in his voice. Refusing to relax, Ciel crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared down the other male.

"What's your name sir?" Ciel asked politely. The man paused a moment before flashing Ciel a smile.

"The name's Patrick. You care to tell me yours lad?" Patrick asked. Ciel shrugged his shoulders.

"That's unimportant," Ciel responded nonchalantly. Patrick furrowed his brows at the young male's response before merrily grinning.

"You're a secretive lad aren't you?" he asked teasingly. Ciel rudely rolled his eyes before replying.

"I just don't have the time for unnecessary pleasantries," Ciel said bluntly. Patrick blinked at Ciel's statement.

"You must be in the middle of something awfully important if you don't even have time for simple pleasantries," Patrick said thoughtfully. When Ciel showed no sign of responding to the man's statement, Patrick grinned.

"So what's got you traversing through this thicket at midnight in such a hurry nameless lad?" asked the Irish man.

_Oh nothing. I'm just escaping from a maniac that claims that he's a demon and a contract that I intend to not be a part of. This includes me forever serving him, being absolutely controlled by him and…oh! I also have to give my soul to him at the time of my death._

"I'm heading to London," Ciel said simply. Patrick looked surprised at Ciel's blunt statement.

"At this time of night? Why not head to London during the day?" he asked curiously.

"There's something urgent that I must take care of as soon as possible," the young Phantomhive replied. Patrick rubbed his chin in thought as he mulled over the conversation he had just partaken in with the anonymous boy.

"Did you say you were heading for London?" the chubbier male asked. Ciel nodded and the Irish man grinned from ear to ear.

"What a coincidence! It just so happens that I'm heading there myself!" Patrick exclaimed enthusiastically. Ciel blinked and Patrick continued on without pause.

"How about you and I become travel mates? I know a road that can have us arriving in London just as the sun is rising above the horizon! A…shortcut is what I think you call it. Would you like to travel with me little lad?" Patrick asked kindly. Ciel was pleased with himself as he kept the flutter of excitement he felt on the inside from showing on the outside. The young boy took in Patrick's appearance and couldn't sense any signs of malicious intent or dishonesty. The man looked to be trustworthy and completely harmless; however, a distant voice in the back of his mind was telling him not to trust the man and stay right where he was. Choosing to ignore the warning, Ciel rewarded the bubbly man with a small smile and a quick nod of his head.

**XXX**

Ciel was relieved that the rain was starting to let up; but, the young boy couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive as he followed a short distance behind the merry Irish man. The pair had been traveling for a couple of hours and the lack of sleep was quickly catching up with the younger of the two. But Ciel's tiredness wasn't what was causing the feelings of nervousness to build inside of him.

Ciel had anticipated that as he got closer to the city of London, the amount of forestry would thin out. Instead, it looked as if Patrick was leading them into even thicker woods than where the two had begun their journey together.

"Patrick?" Ciel called softly. Patrick grunted his acknowledgement. "Um, this road does lead to London right?" Ciel asked. Patrick abruptly stopped walking and Ciel stopped as well. The portly Irish man turned to face the completely rain-drenched boy.

"I told you I was taking you to a shortcut right? Do you not trust me lad?" Patrick asked with a hint of hurt. Ciel sighed and Patrick tilted his head to the side. Ciel's ears perked up at the sound of rustling and he looked up to see Patrick holding something wrapped in a bright pink wrapper in between his thumb and index finger. Ciel blinked in confusion and the Irish man smiled before holding the object out to him.

"What exactly is that?" Ciel inquired with a slight hint of interest.

"It's chocolate," Patrick stated simply. Ciel lifted an eyebrow at his traveling companion's statement.

"No thank you. I'm not hungry," Ciel said. A low growl could be heard from the younger male's abdomen and Patrick chuckled. Ciel flushed with embarrassment and the Irish man gently placed the candy in his hand.

"I think your body is saying otherwise," Patrick responded with a wink. Ciel stared at his outstretched hand and brought the chocolate up to his nose. He sniffed and blinked with surprise and a hint of delight at the telltale smell of chocolate.

"Um…thanks," Ciel thanked awkwardly as he unwrapped the chocolate.

"No problem lad! I can't afford to have my mate pass out on the road now can I?" Patrick asked good-naturedly. Ciel ignored the lively man and imitated Patrick's earlier movement as he examined the wrong colored chocolate.

"This can't be chocolate. It's white," Ciel observed with a hint of suspicion.

"It's white chocolate!" Patrick quickly replied. A look of confusion crossed over the dark-haired boy's face and he looked curiously into Patrick's bright green eyes.

"White…chocolate?" he asked unsurely. Patrick nodded and Ciel broke eye contact with him to scrutinize the differently colored sweet. Sensing the boy's doubt, Patrick sought to calm his fears.

"Don't worry lad. It tastes just like regular chocolate," Patrick said reassuringly. Being naturally inquisitive, Ciel couldn't resist asking his next question.

"If that's the case, why did they bother to make white chocolate?" Ciel inquired. Patrick released a nearly inaudible sigh before fixing a grin on his face.

"I don't know, perhaps they wanted a different color instead of brown. Now, why don't you just eat the sweet so we can continue on a merry way? If we continue to contemplate why the makers decided to make chocolate white, we won't reach London by dawn," Patrick said with a strong hint of impatience. Ciel was slightly taken aback by Patrick's change of attitude but brushed it off as a fatigue. Besides, the Irishman was right.

_If I want to have Sebastian Michaelis arrested as soon as possible so that I may live my life, I must not dawdle and waste precious time._

With a look of determination, Ciel lifted the sweet to his lips. Out of the blue, a sharp bolt of pain that originated in his right eye split through the young child's brain. Ciel clutched his head and gasped at the sudden onset of pain and Patrick gave the boy a look of shock and slight concern.

"Are you alright there lad?" Patrick asked. Ciel didn't respond for a moment as alternating waves of pain traveled throughout his entire body. Gritting his teeth, Ciel ignored the slight discomfort and his strong sense of intuition. He popped the sweet into his mouth and discovered that he just may have a sweet tooth. The chocolate melted almost instantly in his mouth and a dream-like expression flashed across his face as he looked to see Patrick gazing intently at him. A little uncomfortable at the amount of attention the older man was giving him, Ciel opened his mouth to tell him to quit staring. Ciel's eyes widened as he opened his mouth and no sound came out. He heard Patrick chuckle and release a whistle.

Ciel's ears perked up when he heard the sound of several bushes rustling at the same time. The temporarily speechless Phantomhive could only watch soundlessly as a band of thugs emerged from the trees. He glared at Patrick with enough intensity to burn holes into his lying soul. The Irishman flashed him a toothy grin before shifting his attention to the group of bandits.

_It seems as if I'm about to be robbed. Too bad for them, I have absolutely no money on me whatsoever. The only thing of actual value is my overcoat…but I don't understand. Why didn't Patrick just rob me when he had caught me off guard in the woods hours ago? Why would he wait until he met up with his buddies? _Ciel's eyes widened when he saw one of Patrick's true comrades eye him hungrily before giving the plump man a congratulatory pat on the back. _Of course! It makes sense. These men send out Patrick, the most nonthreatening one of them all, to lure innocent, albeit stupid, people to the entire gang. By doing so, there's no doubt that Patrick will be overpowered. But still, why in the world would they target a kid?_

"You really outdid yourself this time Patrick," a man with a long scar on his face commented. Patrick smiled happily at the praise.

"Yea, he's a real beauty. He will definitely fetch a good price," a gruff voice commented from behind Ciel. Patrick laughed appreciatively before throwing a friendly arm over the first speaker's shoulder.

"You bet your knickers he will! He was a hard one to convince, but he followed me nonetheless. And considering his mysterious yet charmingly innocent personality, he will definitely be popular among our clients." Patrick's statement was met with a chorus of grunts and laughter from the bandits. Ciel narrowed his eyes at the smiling man and opened his mouth to retort but instantly clamped it shut. His vision was focusing in and out and he felt his mind go slightly cloudy as he began to sway unsteadily.

_What exactly did Patrick give me? And what are these thieves rambling on about clients, prices, and my beauty? Those things have nothing to do with being robbed! Unless…I'm not being robbed. But if that's the case_,_ then what exactly do these men want with me? Well, I'm definitely not going to stick around to find out, that's for sure. But I can't alert them that I'm going to escape. I have to use the element of surprise and outwit these bandits. _Ciel could see in his peripheral vision that there was a slight gap between a tall man with a wooden bat and a muscular man with rope. _If I can find the right moment to make a break for it, I must make sure that I have enough momentum to propel me forward. Once I escape from these men, I'm going to have to find a safe haven somewhere in the woods until they give up the search. Hopefully, they'll decide that I'm not worth the trouble and abandon their search with haste._

"It's a shame about that one eye though," the scarred man commented with mock sadness. "That eye patch will definitely bring down his market value among the other prostitutes." Ciel's breath hitched at the man's statement and he could feel a slight hint of panic develop in his chest.

_Prostitution?! That's what these men are involved in? They lure innocent people deep into the woods and turn them into prostitutes…well that does make a little more sense than simply robbing them. But still, what use do they have for a young male child in the sex industry?_

"That may be true, but I'm sure our clients will be able to come up with a way to use his disability to its fullest," Patrick said as he licked his lips. Ciel shivered at the look in the two men's eyes and hoped that an opening for him to make a run for it would appear soon.

"Oh? Would you like to give us a demonstration Patrick?" the scarred man asked playfully. An animalistic grin spread on the fat man's face as he eyed Ciel with unsuppressed lust.

"I would love to Scotty. I've been dreaming of taking this kid since I saw him wandering in the woods covered in rain water," Patrick said huskily.

_Now's my chance! But I have to execute this perfectly…there's no room for error in this situation._

Ciel fearfully and shakily shrank back as the Irishman stalked towards him. He clutched his soaked overcoat to his chest and his eyes showed nothing but horror.

"Ah come now lad. Don't be shy. You don't want to put on a bad show for your spectators right?" Ciel frantically shook his head and immediately regretted doing so as the landscape and people around him became a blur for a few seconds. The men chuckled as they moved to gather behind Patrick. Just as the older man's arm touched Ciel's arm, the young boy flashed the man a mischievous smirk. He whipped around and managed to deliver a hefty smack to the pudgy man's face before moving to run in a full sprint.

But something went horribly wrong.

Ciel's eyes widened in disbelief as instead of taking off at full speed, he stumbled! He caught himself before he fell and moved to launch himself from the ground but found that as soon as he moved to run, his balance was thrown off and he was back where he started. Frustrated and starting to panic, Ciel released a silent scream as he stumbled and fell for the fourth time.

_What the hell?!?! What did they put in the drug?_

A strong grip on Ciel's forearm stopped the boy's fruitless attempt to escape and the horror of the situation hit him hard. The sound of the outlaws' chuckles caused Ciel to panic as Patrick's grip tightened enough to leave a bruise. Ciel squirmed but his attempt was useless for the larger man effortlessly threw the fragile boy to the ground. Ciel gasped as loose rocks from the road cut into his pale skin. He tried to crawl away but found that he couldn't move on account of the fact that Patrick was now holding his hips so that his clothed butt was raised off the ground and clearly exposed.

"You might want to stop struggling so much beautiful boy. I might get in trouble if I damage the merchandise. Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. It's your choice; but," Ciel's eyes widened as he felt something hard grind into his clothed ass. "I'm still going to get to take you," he whispered huskily. Ciel frantically shook his head and silently screamed.

_No…NO!!!! This can't be happening! Am I really going to be raped out here in the middle of nowhere?! No, I won't let him have his way. I won't…no, I __**can't **__lose this fight._

Ciel shakily lifted one of his legs off the ground and kicked back. He was pleased when he heard Patrick's pained cry. As soon as the pressure was released from his hips, Ciel attempted to sprint away but found that his arms and legs were quickly restrained by four other men. Ciel kicked, scratched, clawed, and struggled as much as he could but his weak and undeveloped body was no match for the brute strength of four grown men. Also, the fact that his mind was growing hazier, his limbs were feeling heavier, and his vision was starting to blur more often than clear weren't helping the young Phantomhive's cause either.

"Hold him down you blokes! I won't be able to enter properly if he keeps moving," Patrick hissed angrily as he painfully grabbed Ciel's struggling hips. A sadistic smile spread on the Irishman's face as he released one of his hands to reach for Ciel's zipper.

"I like this position even better lad. I get to see your arousing face as I penetrate your tiny little body and your even tinier hole. Don't worry though; it won't hurt……me!" Patrick finished evilly. Ciel's eyes widened at that statement and he could feel the strings of his eye patch smack the back of his head as he shook his head. Patrick's eyes narrowed at the sight and he moved his hand from Ciel's zipper up to his eye patch. Ciel gasped and attempted to move his hand but a hand on his throat cut off all forms of movement and breathing. Ciel lay struggling and gasping for air as black spots began to appear in his blurred vision.

"But first," Patrick said, "let's remove this hindrance," he finished as he pulled on the strings.

"If I may cut in, I suggest you do not do that," a charming voice called.

Ciel's eyes flew open in utter disbelief at the smooth sound and Patrick released the strings to look curiously at the owner of the voice.

"Who the hell are you?" he growled. Ciel shivered at the sound of the other man's dark chuckle while Patrick clenched his teeth.

"Perhaps I should be asking you that question. Or more importantly, I should ask what you are doing with my property," Sebastian responded calmly. Patrick and his gang laughed mockingly at the richer man's words and Sebastian smiled as if he was a part of the joke and not the subject of it.

"Your property you say? Well, if that's the case, you really should take better care of your belongings," the Irish man scolded. As if on cue, Ciel felt all of his limbs released simultaneously and he would've cried out if he had a voice as he was roughly flipped onto his front. When the smaller male tried to lift his head, a forceful hand shoved his face into the dirt. Ciel thrashed and bloodied his fingernails as he clawed at the ground to escape the man's grasp but his struggles were in vain.

Sebastian raised a curious eyebrow at the mistreatment of his new pet but otherwise stood motionlessly as the perverted bandit smirked evilly at him.

"You know, you've got a lot of nerve coming out here all by yourself. With an umbrella no less!" Patrick said mockingly as he looped a finger under the hem of Ciel's shorts.

"But isn't it only common sense to protect oneself from the rain?" Sebastian argued. The plump Irishman grunted uncaringly as he began to tug on the young boy's shorts. Ciel scrabbled at the dirt underneath his fingers to try and get away from the older man. Sebastian could clearly hear Ciel's muffled pants and gasps as he struggled to escape from his predicament.

"Enough! Now, you just need to return to your little sissy game of chess or whatever you rich bastards play and forget about this scrawny little runt. If you turn around now and don't interfere, we just might consider not stealing every dime you've got on you," Patrick threatened. A contemplative look developed on Sebastian's face at the other male's insult before being replaced by a smirk.

"Ah, I understand. I will take my leave then," Sebastian said evenly before slowly turning around. None of the thugs, including Ciel, noticed as the demon brought his free gloved hand to his mouth and tightened it with his teeth.

"That's right you wimpy little man! Let a real man do what a real man's gotta do," Patrick taunted. Sebastian seemed to pay no heed to the comment as he continued to leisurely walk away. Ciel inwardly cursed the supernatural being as he heard his departing footsteps. Sebastian's cowardice was instantly transferred to the back of the Phantomhive's mind as the child felt the cool and wet night air hit the top of his lower back. He could hear appreciative howls and catcalls as more of him was exposed to the sick bastards and a sense of hopelessness crashed down on the young boy. Suddenly, a surprised yelp cut through the laughter and chatting like a knife.

"What the h-"

"A real man you say? Now, I am going to have to disagree with you on that my good man. A **real** man would keep his hands and other bodily parts off of items that do not belong to him," and as soon as those words exited the pale man's lips, Ciel felt the pressure of Patrick's hands instantly disappear. The Phantomhive instantly lifted his head and breathed in the refreshing night air before turning to see what had just happened.

Ciel gasped as he saw in a rare moment of visual clarity Sebastian standing and facing Patrick, who somehow was leaning against the trunk of a tree. Ciel's vision blurred again and he shivered as he felt his limbs go number with each passing second.

The other bandits could only stare in surprise at their injured comrade. One minute, he had been about to take the precious beauty, the next he had been thrown twenty meters to hit the closest tree. Some of the bandits looked fearfully at the smiling man as he stood where Patrick had been kneeling only seconds ago. Patrick groaned as he attempted to move from his position. Sebastian looked curiously at the man.

"Are you alright sir? I would think that a throw that light wouldn't cause a **real** man to fall so easily," Sebastian taunted as he shook some of the rain water off the top of his umbrella. Patrick growled at the paler man's taunts and spat viciously on the ground before turning on his comrades.

"What the hell are you useless pieces of shit doing?!?! Kill that fuckin' son of a bitch!!!" he roared angrily. All looks of hesitation and fear disappeared completely from the gangs' faces and was replaced with looks of blood thirst and killer intent. Sebastian merely smiled gently as the men raised their various weapons and prepared to attack the single man. The way they looked at it, it was ten against one. There was no way that they would lose AND they would all receive the pleasure of fucking the weak child as a reward for their hard work. With that final thought lodged in their minds, the bandits yelled and hollered as they charged at the seemingly defenseless pair.

Faintly hearing the men's wild calls, Ciel attempted to move from his position but instantly fell down.

_I…I can't m-move. I'm so weak and I can't s-speak. My mind…I can't even focus my thoughts. Everything is fading in and out…I'm not even sure where I am right now. How the hell am I going to get out of this situation?_

Sebastian smirked knowingly when he heard Ciel's shuffles. He calmly lowered his umbrella in front of his body as a protective barrier before turning to his struggling pet.

"My, my. Don't you look weak? If you could be so kind, I request that you don't pass out on me. It would be terribly inconvenient for me to have to fight these gentlemen as well as revive you from unconsciousness," Sebastian called. Barely hearing any of the demon's words, Ciel struggled to sit up again. The small action of moving a few inches off the ground tired the boy immensely as he panted for air. He fixed the blurry figure of the man with his most withering glare and inhaled shakily as he felt the sudden urge to vomit. Sebastian turned away from the frail child to face his attackers. The moment he snapped his umbrella shut, Ciel's entire world went black.

**XXX**

The faint sound of boots squelching on the soaked ground was the first thing Ciel heard as he gradually entered consciousness. Ciel slowly opened his eyes as the clouds of unconsciousness and sleep in his mind cleared away. The dark-haired boy was slightly confused as he took in his surroundings.

_Where am I? What happened to those bandits? What time is it? Why do I feel so warm? And why am I floating above the ground? ... Wait, it's not possible for humans to float. Someone must be carrying me…but who?_

"Honestly, humans today are so selfish. Always thinking about what they want and not taking the time to consider how it can possibly endanger and inconvenience others," a smooth voice commented disapprovingly. Instantly thrown out of his feeling of relative comfort and safety, Ciel whipped his head to look up at Sebastian's rain-soaked face. Without bothering to look down at the small child he carried in his arms, Sebastian continued to face forward as he spoke.

"Ah, you're finally awake my selfish pet." Ciel narrowed his eyes at Sebastian and suddenly moaned in pain. Sparking Sebastian's interest, the demon master looked down at Ciel's slightly blushing face.

"Are you not comfortable pet?" Sebastian asked curiously. Ciel looked pointedly at his swinging ankle and the supernatural being stopped in his tracks.

"Is your ankle bothering you?" Sebastian inquired. Ciel nodded sheepishly and Sebastian sighed at the sheer inconvenience of it all. The taller man veered off the road they had been traveling on and picked his way through the dense foliage. Ciel shivered at the cold and Sebastian unconsciously shifted so that the smaller boy was covered by more of his overcoat. Ignoring the kind gesture, Ciel's cleared vision took in the surrounding area and mapped it out for later use.

Sebastian focused his attention on a lone tree stump and trekked towards the temporary seat. He sighed again and Ciel glared at the sighing man as he was gently lowered onto the stump. Ciel jumped at the feel of the cold water on his bottom as he settled onto the stump. Sebastian got down on one knee as if he were going to propose to the boy and looked into Ciel's eyes.

"Which ankle?" he asked seriously. Ciel bit his bottom lip and shyly looked away before delicately pointing at his left ankle. Sebastian focused his attention on the ankle and gently took it in his gloved hands as he looked closely to figure out whether it was a sprain or a break.

Suddenly, Ciel whipped his free ankle around and silently whooped with joy when he felt the heel of his shoe connect with the back of the demon's bent head. Sebastian instantly released Ciel's captive limb as his face slammed into the face of the stump. Taking the opportunity of escape, Ciel leaped from the trunk, completely unharmed, and took off into the woods.

_HA! Some demon he proved to be! I can't believe my plan actually worked. But now I have to focus on escape and use the resources around me to arrive at my destination. If I remember correctly, there is a hill to my immediate right that looked as if it led to a higher road._

Ciel immediately ran to his right and mentally patted himself on the back as he felt the beginning of the incline of a hill. A small smile spread on Ciel's face and he felt a small flare of hope at the prospect of arriving in London. That flare was instantly put out as Ciel suddenly felt a pressure on his left ankle. A resounding snap filled the silent forest and was quickly accompanied by a pain-filled scream. Ciel instantly fell the ground and made noises like a wounded animal as he gripped his left ankle for dear life. Through his pain-filled haze, Ciel spotted the source of his mind-numbing pain; a root that was sticking up from the earth from a nearby tree. Ciel inwardly cursed his own carelessness as he realized that he must've looped his foot into it when he had been running up the hill. Therefore, when he pulled up to continue running, the pressure had instantly snapped his ankle.

"Thank goodness for the opposing force of humans' selfishness. Karma," a deep voice said from directly above Ciel's prone form. Ciel gritted his teeth in pain and annoyance at the voice of the demon.

"Shut up," he hissed up at a now smiling Sebastian. Ciel noticed that he didn't feel rain falling on his face anymore and looked up to find that Sebastian had reopened his umbrella.

_How manly,_ Ciel thought sarcastically as he attempted to get to his feet. The attempt was quickly dashed as Ciel cried out and prepared to fall on his face. Instead of hitting the wet earth beneath him, Ciel collided with a wet material covering a very warm body. Ciel tightly shut his eyes and clenched his teeth as his body was wracked with pain for the second time in one night.

"Honestly, are all you humans good for is causing yourselves pain and turmoil?" Sebastian asked tiredly as he shifted to accommodate Ciel.

"I didn't ask for your help," Ciel instantly snapped back. Sebastian only chuckled and shrugged himself out of his coat. Ciel watched as the demon sank his teeth into the expensive material and ripped off a section of the cloth. Ciel did his best to muffle his pained gasp as the demon shifted him so that his head was resting against Sebastian's chest. The rest of Sebastian's now ruined coat was wrapped around Ciel's shaking body as Sebastian leaned around the child to examine his broken ankle.

Ciel fixed the being with a hate-filled glare when Sebastian chuckled at the irony of the situation.

"Just hurry up so I can continue on my way," Ciel muttered as he crossed his arms over his chest. Sebastian paused in his ministrations of the bone to look curiously at the boy.

"Where exactly do you intend to go with a broken ankle?" Sebastian asked curiously. Ciel snorted and looked away from Sebastian's gaze.

"Anywhere but where you are," he answered vaguely. Sebastian lifted an eyebrow at the statement before smiling with amusement. Ciel turned to face Sebastian and questioned him with his one visible eye.

"You truly have the mind of a child. Did you think that you could escape from this contract?" Sebastian asked with amusement before prodding Ciel's ankle. Ciel squeezed his eyes shut and Sebastian noted the boy's body language as he continued to prod around the swelling area.

"From what I can tell, it looks as if you have broken your ankle. The good news however, is that it's a clean break," Sebastian announced as he began to remove Ciel's dirty shoe. Ciel sighed at his luck before mulling over Sebastian's earlier statement.

Sebastian shifted the child again so that Ciel's head was resting against his raised knee and his ankle was resting against the ground. Ciel chose not to voice how uncomfortable his back and neck felt but he was slightly surprised when he felt Sebastian shift his knee to his back and his hand to hold up Ciel's neck and head. The dark-haired male chose the moment to look up at Sebastian's concentrated face. The demon's pale brow was scrunched in concentration and his unnaturally colored eyes were completely focused on Ciel's ankle. The rain was making small paths of water on his otherwise flawless face and was dripping off of his raven-colored locks. If Ciel didn't know any better and didn't hate him as much as he did, he would've considered Sebastian to be devilishly handsome.

"I never wanted to be a part of this contract. I am not a willing party and therefore do not have to follow it," Ciel suddenly voiced. Sebastian paused again and looked down at Ciel's emotionless face. The rain had completely matted down the child's slightly blue-colored hair on his forehead and his eye showed no hint of emotion. The rain fell onto his angelic face and Ciel showed no sign of acknowledging its presence as his lips and entire face remained motionless. A frown developed on Sebastian's face before he turned to wrap the boy's ankle. Once Ciel's ankle was completely wrapped in the makeshift bandage, Sebastian looked around for something to hold the material together. He turned to the umbrella by his side and broke off a piece of the metal that held the umbrella open. He squeezed the metal between his fingers so that it formed a hook and hooked it into where the material ended and to a section in the middle and twisted the hook. Pleased with his handiwork, Sebastian gently lifted the injured bone and mentally congratulated himself when he didn't feel Ciel stiffen at the touch.

Now that that task was taken care of, Sebastian focused his attention on the source of his troublesome evening.

"Ciel, do you understand the implications of breaking any form of a contract?" Sebastian began. Thrown off slightly by the unexpected question, Ciel foolishly opened his mouth.

"Huh?" Sebastian smiled gently and shifted Ciel a third time so that he was sitting in his lap with his legs still on the ground and his head leaning against his chest. Ciel stiffened at the somewhat intimate position and resisted the urge to lean into the demon's warmth.

"A man that cannot follow a contract isn't, and never will be, a man. He who does not keep his part in a contract will forever be looked down upon by his fellow man and will not be able to live a life of relative peace and prosperity. He shall be constantly plagued and molested by his people and saw in the eyes of all humanity as a worthless dog. Of course, the man could try and lie about ever forming a contract, but the guilt of his own conscience would eventually drive him insane with regret and remorse, and he would forever suffer mental and internal agony and turmoil. Now are you, Ciel, with evidence of our contract shown physically on your body, willing to suffer through such a life instead of simply following through with your part of our deal?" Sebastian finished. Ciel remained silent throughout Sebastian's entire speech and didn't respond to the demon's question for a few minutes.

"I can just wear this eye patch everywhere I go," Ciel reasoned. Sebastian looked as if he was thinking over the idea.

"But what would happen if your employer does not accept disabled people? Or he requests to see what's behind the eye patch?" Sebastian countered. Ciel clenched his jaw and breathed. He refused to let this "man" get the best of him.

"Then I would have to look for another place of employment or ask the man why he dares to question my integrity," Ciel responded coolly. Sebastian chuckled at the well-thought out response.

"That may work for the outside world. But would you be able to deal with the mental and internal agony and turmoil? Or the ridicule of your disability by your fellow man? What those bandits said about you and your eye was only the beginning of a lifetime of jests and cruelty," Sebastian stated. Ciel could feel anger bubbling inside of him and some of it leaked out in his next response.

"I would simply ignore my conscience and those who openly ridicule me will have to deal with my wrath or I will ignore them as well," Ciel responded bitterly. Sebastian's eyes widened at the child's determination.

"Are you really that determined to not keep this contract with me?" Sebastian asked. Ciel looked up into Sebastian's slightly awed face and smirked.

"I would rather kill myself than ever serve a being so filthy and unworthy," Ciel answered smugly. Sebastian's eyes narrowed at the disrespect in his statement and Ciel gasped when he was quickly twisted around so that he was straddling Sebastian. A hint of a blush tinted Ciel's cheeks at the obvious intimacy of the position and he instantly struggled to get out of the position. Sebastian firmly held the struggling boy's hips and Ciel glared at the demon.

"Release me at once!" Ciel ordered. Sebastian merely smirked and leaned towards the injured child as if he were going to kiss him. Ciel instantly turned his head away but a gloved hand on his chin forced him to look into the fiery red orbs. Sebastian leaned towards Ciel's ear as his other hand wrapped securely around the boy's small waist.

"Even in death you cannot escape me Ciel Phantomhive. Whether you like it or not, you and I are forever bound to each other in both life and death. Your soul, your body, everything, now belongs to me. You cannot run away from this my pet. Because no matter where you run, where you hide, you can believe that I will find you. I will find you and I will make the bond between us grow stronger and the seal on your eye and on my hand shine brighter every time. Now, you can make this easier on both of us and simply submit to your fate, or you can struggle throughout your entire existence and cause yourself eternal torment and suffering. Ultimately, the decision is yours, but," Ciel's breath hitched when Sebastian's tongue flicked out and slowly licked the shell of his ear, "You are mine Ciel Phantomhive."

Faster than Ciel could wrap his mind around the situation, Sebastian was suddenly walking out of the woods with Ciel carried in his arms as if he was his bride. Ciel balked at the entire situation and Sebastian's words.

"What th-?! Put me down!" Ciel commanded. Sebastian chuckled.

"Would my pet prefer to be slung over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes? Or perhaps he would like to ride me instead?" Sebastian said suggestively. For an odd reason, Ciel felt his cheeks heat up at the statement. He crossed his arms in front of his chest before looking away from Sebastian and pouting.

"Bastard," Ciel muttered childishly.

Sebastian openly laughed at Ciel's behavior and Ciel sighed at the unfairness of the entire situation.

**XXX**

The sun's light shining brightly through Ciel's bedroom woke the sleeping child from his peaceful sleep. Well that, and the fact that he could clearly hear Maylene and Bard screaming right outside his door. Ciel reluctantly opened his eyes and breathed a sigh of discontent.

_Can't I have just one moment of peace? Is that too much to ask for?_

The shattering of glass was Ciel's response to his unvoiced question. Ciel tiredly rubbed his eyes as he slowly sat up in his bed. He glared hatefully at the bright light shining directly on his bed. Ciel instantly decided that he wasn't a morning person. He turned in the direction of the doorway and paused when he saw the pile of neatly folded clothes still resting on his nightstand from the previous day. Curiosity getting the best of him, Ciel reached out a hand and grabbed the first article of clothing. Holding up the white, button-up dress shirt, Ciel eyed it with obvious distaste. He set the shirt down on the bed before reaching for the second clothing piece. Ciel's mood slightly darkened when he held up the black jacket. His mood further soured when he examined the black pair of dress pants. His peaceful disposition was forever destroyed and Ciel growled darkly as he wringed the black tie between his clenched fists.

It wasn't just the fact that the clothes were terribly old-fashioned and monochrome. It wasn't even the fact that Ciel knew he would look paler than normal dressed in these clothes.

No.

What caused Ciel to forever ruin his good mood was the nature of the clothing. More specifically, the **size** of the clothing.

Ciel fervently gathered the clothing into his arms and kicked back the covers of his sheets. This action caused Ciel to momentarily pause. He could've sworn that last night Sebastian had told him that his ankle was broken.

_If that was the case, then why is my ankle fully functioning as if it had never been broken? If I recall, bones do not heal that quickly…_

Pushing the skeptical thoughts into the back of his still stuffy head, Ciel jumped out of his bed and stomped over to the door. He angrily threw it open and gave both Maylene and Bard the biggest scares of their lives. The maid and the cook eyed the mussed and clearly angry boy with fear. The dark aura that was radiating around him only made the smaller of the three all the more menacing.

"Where is he?" Ciel growled dangerously. Maylene gulped while Bard nervously scratched the back of his head.

"He's in his study b-" Bard began. Ciel angrily walked past the two servants as he headed in the direction of Sebastian's study. Maylene and Bard exchanged frantic glances before quickly following after the seriously pissed off child.

"Y-You can't disturb him!" Maylene cried. Ciel continued on without pause.

"And why not?" Ciel inquired as he turned down the corridor heading towards the double doors.

"He's extremely busy!" Maylene responded frantically. Ciel frowned at the statement before an evil smile slowly formed on his face.

"Oh, we'll just see about that," Ciel commented darkly before chuckling evilly, causing both Bard and Maylene to shiver. Ciel wrapped one hand around the doorknob and angrily threw open the barrier between himself and his victim.

"What the hell is this?!?! Is this your idea of a sick joke you twisted demon?!" Ciel yelled angrily as he purposefully walked into the room. Sebastian sighed tiredly and took of his glasses before looking up to face his pet and two servants.

"Maylene, I thought I told you not to let anyone disturb me," Sebastian said as he looked meaningfully at the maid. Maylene blushed and poked her two index fingers together nervously.

"W-We tried to s-stop him Master M-Michaelis but he caught us by surprise," Maylene responded fretfully.

"Don't you dare ignore me you bastard!" Ciel shouted heatedly. Sebastian delicately lifted a hand to the bridge of his nose and pinched it to stop the oncoming headache.

"What seems to be the problem that warrants you bursting into my office and yelling such insults?" Sebastian asked boredly. Ciel narrowed his eyes when he saw the hint of a knowing smile on Sebastian's face.

"You know damn well why I'm acting so irate!" Ciel cried before slamming the articles of clothing onto Sebastian's already cluttered desk. Sebastian looked pointedly at Ciel, who snatched the pair of pants from the pile.

"All of these clothes are too big for me!" Ciel yelled. Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" he asked with a hint of a tease in his voice. Ciel growled and as his dark aura became more pronounced and killer, Maylene and Bard shrank away in fright.

"Don't oh me! You know damn well I can't fit into these," Ciel hissed as he unfolded the pants. Maylene and Bard had to fight to keep their snickers concealed as Sebastian resisted the urge to laugh.

"Those pants look fine to me," Sebastian commented causing Ciel to consider murdering the taunting being.

"Maybe if I was a giant!" Ciel said sarcastically. The pants that Ciel held were as long as the entire length of Ciel's tiny body. In fact, as Ciel held them beside his small frame to compare the size, some of the material was dragging on the ground. The comparison is what finally broke the other two servants resolve. Ciel turned around to see both Bard and Maylene laughing so hard that they were crying. Sebastian sighed and fixed the two adults with a look. Their laughter immediately ceased and they both bowed apologetically before exiting the room. Maylene made sure to close the door to give the two some privacy. Ciel clenched his fists before turning to face Sebastian.

"It's bad enough that I have to serve you for all of eternity. The **least** you could do is provide me with proper clothing," Ciel scolded vehemently. Sebastian merely smiled before slowly getting up from his chair.

"Your arrival was quite unexpected. Those were the only clothes I had available for you until I can find clothes your size," Sebastian said calmly as he fingered the tie. Ciel silently cursed the demon before defiantly folding his arms over his chest.

"I absolutely refuse to wear these," Ciel said stubbornly. Sebastian chuckled at Ciel's resolve.

"Oh really?" Sebastian asked coyly. Ignoring the demon's tone, Ciel stared down the supernatural being. Sebastian broke the heated stare down and sighed as Ciel turned to exit the room.

"Fine. If you will not don this attire yourself," Sebastian commented. Ciel continued to walk towards the door and didn't see the slow demon-revealing smile appear on Sebastian's flawless face.

Ciel jumped and gasped with shock, horror, and surprise as he felt a pair of arms wrap around his midsection and begin to unbutton his nightshirt. Ciel struggled against the iron grip and attempted to rip the demon's arms away from his body but to no avail. Sebastian was apparently the stronger of the two and made this fact known as he pulled the material off of Ciel. The dark-haired child was whirled around to face Sebastian and his eyes widened as Sebastian eyed his nearly naked form hungrily. Ciel's breath hitched when one of Sebastian's hands began to roam his exposed skin.

"W-What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ciel asked with disbelief as Sebastian's hands continued to probe and grope his body. Sebastian locked eyes with Ciel before pulling away and walking back towards his desk.

"Measuring your frame size of course. I wouldn't want to have the tailor make a mistake with the measurements," Sebastian said smartly. The demon opened a drawer in the desk and rummaged around until he found what he was looking for. Ciel eyed the sewing kit on the desk warily as Sebastian made his way back towards him.

_What in the world does a business man need a sewing kit for? More importantly, why does a __**man**__ have one in the first place?_

Ciel glared at Sebastian as the demon picked the child up and carried him over to the desk. He set Ciel down next to the pile of clothing and cupped Ciel's frowning face in his hands. The two males locked eyes for a few moments and Ciel began to blush as he continued to gaze in Sebastian's eyes. Ciel broke the eye locking session and pretended to take sudden interest in the portrait of the queen over the fireplace as Sebastian chuckled. The demon reached around the embarrassed boy to grab the white dress shirt. Ciel silently held out his arms as Sebastian began to dress him in the oversized clothing. When Sebastian finished buttoning the shirt, he reached for the sewing kit and pulled out some pins, a needle, and some white thread. Ciel remained completely motionless as Sebastian began to hem the shirt. Ciel peeked every now and then at the focused man and resisted the urge to giggle at the fact that the man looked very much like a woman, what with the way he had a slight look of tenderness on his face and he had several pins sticking out from between his lips.

When Sebastian finished the shirt, Ciel was pleased to see that the shirt fit almost perfectly. The same process repeated as Sebastian hemmed the black jacket to fit as well. Ciel was slightly saddened and irritated by the fact that he had to move from his comfortable perch to stand as Sebastian fitted the ridiculously huge pants. Ciel felt much more self conscious while Sebastian was working on this piece of attire because the man's pale face was level with, well, Ciel's most private place. Plus, the fact that the demon had a knowing smirk on his face wasn't helping Ciel's embarrassment.

Both Ciel and Sebastian looked skeptically at the large shoes and Sebastian shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

"You'll just have to wear those until I go to London to visit a shoemaker," he commented as he began to gather the various pieces of the kit back together. Ciel stood awkwardly in front of Sebastian's desk as the demon tiredly sat back down. Sebastian turned the chair so that he was facing the properly dressed child. He silently praised himself for a job well done. Ciel looked quite sharp in the dressy clothing and Sebastian couldn't help but think that the normally messy child looked quite cute dressed so correctly.

"Well, that bit of unplanned work has left me quite famished," Sebastian said airily. Ciel snorted at the demon's comment.

"So why don't you go and get something to eat?" he questioned with slight annoyance. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at the snarky comment before leaning back in his plush chair.

"Yes, why don't you go and get me something to eat?" Sebastian asked smartly. Ciel narrowed his eyes.

"You're a grown man. Feed yourself!" he barked. Sebastian smirked.

"That's not my job Ciel. It's your job as my **faithful** and **obedient** butler to take care of me," Sebastian stated. Ciel sighed and turned to leave the room.

"Ah ah. You didn't wait to hear what I want to eat," Sebastian called after Ciel's retreating form. Ciel resisted the urge to whirl around and punch the man in the face as he walked back towards the smirking man.

"What is it that you hunger for…Master?" Ciel added reluctantly as Sebastian fixed him with a pointed look.

"Well, since you've made me do work that a tailor should do **and** you didn't wake at the proper time, therefore making me miss breakfast and lunch, I request that you perfectly prepare my favorite food," Sebastian said. Ciel mentally rolled his eyes and waited impatiently for Sebastian to continue. When it was clear after a few minutes that Sebastian intended to go no further, Ciel coughed.

"Well then continue. What's your favorite food?" Ciel asked edgily. An open-mouth smirk developed on Sebastian's face as he reached for his glasses.

"A **proper** butler should know what their master likes," Sebastian taunted. Ciel clenched his fists in anger before turning on his heel to exit the room.

"Ah ah, my pet. You've forgotten two things," Sebastian called again. Ciel inwardly screamed in frustration. Just being around the demon irritated the child to no end and he desperately wanted to get out of this room as soon as possible. Ciel turned back around to see Sebastian holding a pair of small white gloves and his black tie in one hand while he read a piece of paper in the other. Ciel rudely snatched the items from the demon and hastily shoved the gloves onto his hands. However, Ciel had quite a bit of difficulty at tying the tie correctly and his frustration was quickly mounting to quite stressful levels. Sebastian could see Ciel's difficulties over the top of his paper and he sighed again before setting the paper down.

Ciel nearly choked as Sebastian suddenly pulled the slightly tied tie wrapped around his neck towards himself. Ciel clutched at the edge of the desk to stop himself from crushing his small chest into the front of it. Held at a very painful angle, Ciel anxiously waited as Sebastian slowly tied the tie correctly. Just as Sebastian finished correctly knotting the tie, Ciel leaned back to create some distance between the two. The only warning the poor child had was Sebastian's smirk as he jerked the tie towards him, causing the distance between the two to disappear.

Ciel's eyes widened to comic proportions at the feel of the demon's cool and marble smooth lips pressed to his own. Ciel was completely frozen at the intimate touching of lips while Sebastian merely observed his reaction to the impromptu kiss. When Ciel's brain processes began to kick in, Sebastian began to move his lips against his motionless ones, causing all brain functions to once again shut down. Ciel was most certainly confused and disgusted by what Sebastian was doing but he couldn't move away due to the fact that the older male had a tight grip on his tie. All Ciel could do was tightly shut his eyes as Sebastian continued to kiss his previously untouched lips.

Sebastian finally pulled away after what felt like hours but didn't release Ciel's tie. Ciel slowly opened his eyes and looked with confusion at Sebastian's smiling face. The demon sensually licked his lips and Ciel blushed bright red at the gesture. Sebastian pulled the boy closer as if to suggest that he was going to kiss him again and only stopped when their faces were inches apart.

"That should satisfy my hunger for a couple of hours. I also accept that as a proper thank you for what I've just done for you and an apology for awaking so late in the day and causing me unnecessary troubles last night. However, I order you to bring my favorite food to me by five o'clock or else," Sebastian whispered lowly. Ciel shivered at the slight tingle he felt in his covered right eye and at the feel of Sebastian's hot breath on his face.

"Y-Yes, my lord," Ciel said tonelessly. His eyes widened slightly at the words that had just exited his mouth and Sebastian smirked before releasing Ciel's tie. Ciel stumbled backwards and scowled at the older male.

"Ah, it seems that you're finally learning," Sebastian said with obvious approval and Ciel narrowed his eyes before turning and stalking out of the room.

Sebastian's smile never wavered even after he heard the clicks of Ciel's shoes fade. He looked out of the corner of his eye at the antique grandfather clock. It was 3:25 in the afternoon. A demon-revealing smile appeared on Sebastian's face and he chuckled darkly before focusing on the contract glowing faintly on his gloved hand.

_Let the games begin._

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**J-C: There it is everybody!!!! So what did you guys think?!?!**

**Naruto: *still furiously kissing Sasuke***

**~Sasuke~ *still furiously being kissed by Naruto***

**J-C: *sighs* Sometimes I wonder why I keep them around...but more importantly, I forgot to do a major thing in my opening statement and I apologize profusely for it! I forgot to thank my wonderful reviewers!!! I never dreamed that this fic would be so popular! Seriously, you guys amaze me with your words of encouragement and praise and I really appreciate the feedback and slight critique I've received. My goal is to provide my readers with the best reading experience and to become a better writer so I appreciate everything that you guys have said! I was so happy to hear that everyone thought I kept Sebastian, Ciel, and all the other characters IC! It made me uber happy cuz I was seriously stressing about that. Honestly and sincerely, I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!!! For my anonymous reviewers, I hope you guys don't mind if I respond after this closing statement. If you don't like me responding there, plz tell me if you choose to review again. Gosh, I'm just so happy! The fact that I've received such lovely reviews and so many story alerts/favorite story/and even a few favorite author alerts has just made this entire month the best ever!!!! Thanks so much for making my New Year so fantastic!!! ^-^ The fact that Kuroshitsuji is airing January 31st is pretty sweet too! Perhaps the new season will provoke new ideas for this ficcie. But anyhoo, I just wanted to say thanks again for your reviews and I hope that I receive feedback for this chappie as well! I tried to keep everyone IC so I hope I did so. So before I continue ranting for hours to come, I'm going to sign off cuz it's kinda late and I have school tomorrow...:P. Thanks again everybody!!!...Hey!**

**~Naruto and Sasuke~ What?**

**J-C: Did you guys just call me a spazz?!?!?!**

**~Naruto and Sasuke~ O.O**

**~Sasuke~ You just now realized that?**

**J-C: I was too busy with other more important things *starts chanting Kuroshitsuji several times and runs off to watch the 1st season all over again***

**Ja-ne! ^-^**

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Chubby-King-Chocobo-**Lolz, oh really now? Yeah, I was thinking the exact same thing when I first thought of this idea but I just couldn't resist dressing little Ciel in butler attire. Hopefully, I can make you see Ciel possibly being a butler but I guarantee he will definitely be no Sebastian (who could be? ;D). Anyhoo, I wanted to say thankies for your lovely review and I hope this chappie did some justice for the fic! ^-^**

chu chu banato!-**OMG REALLY?!?!?! *releases a huge sigh of relief* Thank goodness! I was so stressed about that that I'm so happy to hear that you think I got the characters perfect! *does a funny dance to cheer for the success* Thanks for thinking so highly of this ficcie so far and I'm glad that you thought it was worth the wait. I hope this one was worth it as well! Thanks again my lovely reviewer! ^-^**

slynise-**Thank you so much!!! I will definitely keep it up because I think out of most of my stories, this has the most potential. I hope I updated quick enough and I'm glad you like this story! Thanks again!!! ^-^**


	4. The Winner

******J-C: HOLY SNAP!!!!**

**~Sasuke~ What is it this time?**

**Naruto: You nearly gave me a heart attack J-C!**

**J-C: Sorry guys. But I just realized that I haven't updated One Hell of a Master in nearly 3 months!!!!**

**~Sasuke/Naruto~ O.O**

**J-C: I know, I'm terrible...STUPID SCHOOL!!!! I had a ton of homework for my high school classes, and then I had to write an uber long and important research paper for my one college class. It completely drained my mind, so I took a break from writing so that I wouldn't post a crappy chapter after making you guys wait so long. I'm truly sorry for making you wait so long and patiently for an update...I feel as if I completely let down some of my reviewers who kindly requested I update ASAP. I'm really really really sorry!!! So, to make up for my long absence...I WROTE 42 PAGES FOR THIS CHAPTER!!!!!! ^0^**

**~Sasuke/Naruto~ HOLY S***!!!**

**J-C: Yes, I nearly died attempting such a large feat (I wrote about 10 pages in 2 hours and now my head is killing me! ^-^'), but it's worth it for my wonderful readers and reviewers!!! You guys have no idea how much I love your kind and supportive reviews! Every time I look at the review/stats page, I'm beside myself with amazement and joy! I never expected this story to be such a hit! Thank you so much for your interest and reviews...I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!**

**~Sasuke~ J-C...if you truly love your readers...**

**Naruto: You should let them go!**

**~Sasuke~ HURRY UP AND GET TO THE CHAPTER ALREADY!!!!!**

**J-C/Naruto: O.O**

**J-C: Alrighty then!!! You heard Sasuke boys (referring to Disclaimer and Warnings)!**

**Disclaimer: You would think with how long I've been away, that I've been able to negotiate a deal with the great and wonderful creator of Kuroshitsuji, Yana Tobosa. However...I did not. So no, I don't even have ownership of Kuroshitsuji to credit my long absence...darn...**

**Warnings: Oh, language, how I've missed you!!! Sexual themes/situations seems to have been away for sooooo long!!! And where would we be with BOYXBOY love?!?!?!?!?! Violence, come back (translation: very little, almost nonexistent)!!!!**

**J-C: Also, for clarification purposes, ****thoughts**** are look like this (**_I'm back!_**) or like this in a flashback (_I've returned_!), Emphasized words/Sound effects look like this (THREE MONTHS?!?!) or look like this if in a flashback _(MIA!_), Flashbacks look like this (**_I remember tons of homework..._**), (XXX) is a scene change/short time change and regular dialogue looks like this (**Let's get started!**) I really did miss you guys... *sees glint of kunai* And Naruto and Sasuke as well! ^-^'**

**~Sasuke~ Hn...**

**Naruto: *smiles innocently***

**J-C: So finally, without further ado, I present you, dear reader, with the 4th installment of One Hell of a Master! ENJOY!!!! ^0^**

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**Chapter 4:** **The Winner**

"Damn that demon…," Ciel mumbled grumpily as he plodded down the expansive hallways on his way to the kitchen. The oversized shoes clicked heavily on the marble floor and flopped around on Ciel's too small feet. In other words, the stiff and heavy shoes made walking a difficult and hateful task.

Today was just not going the way Ciel wanted it to.

First, he was woken up by the hateful sun deciding to stream in the window right onto his sleeping form. Then, he had woken up to discover that the only clothes available to him were monochrome, old-fashioned, and fit for a person ten times his size! After having to deal with the annoying help, who Ciel absolutely refused to associate himself with, he had another confrontation with the blood-boiling Sebastian Michaelis, who he absolutely refused to refer to as Master. The thought of having to reduce himself to bowing to the foul being and performing menial and degrading tasks at the man's whim made Ciel's stomach turn unpleasantly. As if the humiliation of being caught the night before and carried like a woman back to the demon's home hadn't been enough, Sebastian actually had the nerve to kiss him! On the lips! As that thought flashed through the young Phantomhive's mind, Ciel paused and took the time to thoroughly scrub his lips clean with his newly mended jacket. To top it all off, the demon had requested him to perform a task.

_I have to prepare his favorite meal before 5 o'clock this evening. But how in the world am I supposed to do so when he wouldn't even tell me what his favorite food is?! And the fact that I've never cooked in my life will certainly not help my case in any way._

Yes, Ciel was having one of those days.

The fact that he just recently discovered that the supernatural being he was to serve for all eternity was a pedophile certainly wasn't helping to improve the boy's day at all. Just thinking about the demon's earlier action made Ciel want to retch. What had possessed the man to do such a thing?!?!

_It must be something in the water…there is no way that another man can be attracted to a man! It is not right! It goes against the rules of nature, against God!_

Ciel stopped momentarily as that last thought flashed through his confused and slightly worried mind. Sebastian was a demon after all…perhaps engaging in taboo activities with the same gender was something that demons did. If that was the case…

Ciel blushed bright red before groaning softly. If what Ciel was hypothesizing was indeed true, he had a long, painful, and perhaps molestation filled eternity ahead of him.

_If that smug, perverted, demonic devil thinks that I will easily succumb to this lifestyle, he has got another thing coming! I have got to find a way to get out of this contract! But first, I must focus on the task at hand. I would rather not have to spend more time than necessary with that hateful person. Who knows what my punishment may be for disobeying this trivially idiotic order._

Ciel bit his lip and brought a hand up to his covered right eye. He could faintly feel a series of tingles located there. Putting Ciel under the impression that the sensation wouldn't fade until the task was completed, the young butler quickened his pace as he walked purposefully to the kitchen.

Ciel blinked and reached into the pocket of his recently tailored pants. When he had increased his pace, he felt something softly hit the side of his thigh. His gloved fingers curled around something smooth and cold. Curiosity getting the best of him, Ciel pulled the object out of the pocket. He looked at the silver pocket watch in his hand and subconsciously clicked a piece of metal that was sticking out on the side. Ciel watched with mild fascination as the face of the watch snapped open to reveal a fancily designed clock. The ornately styled hands and the old-fashioned numbers suggested this watch was an antique. Ciel held the heavy piece of metal in front of his uncovered eye and watched as the light streaming in from the window caught on the shiny surface of the watch. The long hand on the watch suddenly moved to the six and Ciel gasped.

A haunting melody softly played and Ciel was entranced by the song. It was a quite simple piano melody that repeated several times; no cause for alarm or interest. But for some strange reason that Ciel couldn't place, the melody seemed familiar. It was almost as if he had heard it before. He racked his mind and gritted his teeth in frustration when he couldn't think of where he had heard this song before. Irritated by his memory lapse, the dark-haired boy clasped the watch shut with vehemence and roughly shoved it into his pocket.

_What a worthless piece of junk! A watch is merely needed to tell the time! It is asinine for there to be a music box included._

Ciel continued at his hurried pace and hoped that he was heading toward the kitchen. He couldn't afford to lose time. He only had an hour and a half before he had to present Sebastian with his favorite meal. Following his instinct, the young servant turned to the right and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Bard smoking outside a pair of double-doors. Ciel strode over to the smoking cook. Hearing the sound of shoes clicking, Bard hastily moved to put out his cigarette. After dropping the cigarette in a conveniently placed pot plant, Bard assumed his care-free position. Ciel showed no emotion as he stopped in front of the previously smoking man. Bard sheepishly scratched his head.

"What?" Ciel merely shook his head and pointed to the door.

"Is that where the kitchen is located?" Ciel asked formally. Just because he was technically on the same level as Bard didn't mean he had to act friendly towards him. Bard raised an eyebrow out of curiosity.

"Yea…but shouldn't you be with Master Michaelis in his study?" Ciel's eyes narrowed slightly.

"What I do is none of your business," he said haughtily. Slightly put off by Ciel's tone, Bard frowned. Ciel blinked when a slow smile spread on the blond man's face. He winked before saying softly, "Oooohhhh! Master Michaelis wants you to make his favorite meal before a certain time, right?" The look of surprise on Ciel's face confirmed Bard's deduction.

"How did y-"

"Master Michaelis had me do the exact same thing when I came to work for him," Bard responded proudly. Ciel raised an eyebrow.

"How exactly did that turn out?" Bard's look of triumph was instantly replaced with embarrassment.

"Heh heh, well…"

**FLASHBACK**

"_You have the whole day to prepare my favorite meal if you wish to serve me," Sebastian stated. Bard blinked in surprise before standing at attention._

"_Sir Yes Sir!" he yelled. Sebastian sighed._

"_You do not need to do that anymore…" Bard smiled sheepishly._

"_Sorry Sir. I can't help it! It's kinda a routine for me now." Sebastian waved a hand dismissively._

"_Just refrain from doing so in the future. Now go. You have until 5 o'clock or else there will be consequences…" Sebastian ended with a warning. Bard blinked and rubbed his chin thoughtfully._

"_What do you want to eat?" Sebastian smirked at that question and leaned back in his chair._

"_A servant of the Michaelis household should already know the answer," he said mysteriously. Bard gritted his teeth._

"_What the hell?! I've only known you for five minutes! How the fuck am I supposed to know what you like?!" Bard yelled in dismay. Sebastian clicked his teeth at Bard's language._

"_Such a filthy mouth. You really must work on using more civilized words," Sebastian scolded before picking up a piece of paper. When no more words flowed past the pale man's lips, Bard stomped out of the room._

_The young chef muttered a string of curses as he made his way towards the kitchen. It was bad enough that he had to wake up at 5 am; now, he had to figure out what his new master wanted to eat._

_**Well, what's the worst that could happen?**_

_**10 hours later**_

_Sebastian could only observe speechlessly as Bard stood in the now destroyed kitchen. There were several pieces of equipment still flaming while the rest of the room (if it could still be considered a room) was sopping wet and charred._

"_Um, I got impatient…I don't really like to wait so I…"_

"_You decided to use a flame thrower instead of a stove…" Sebastian finished. Bard gulped at the man's lack of emotion. Seeing Sebastian's critical gaze of his work caused Bard to feel seething anger towards him._

"_Okay?!?! So the fuck what?! I screwed up your kitchen because cooking requires explosions! That's the only way it can be considered art! Maybe to you English pansies, it's all about time and patience but that's not how we Americans do! I just…don't have the patience for cooking ok?!?! I mean, this time I really did try to slow down but I just…couldn't. But I'm working on it at my own pace! So if achieving patience through cooking requires your kitchen to get fucked up every time, well, so the fuck what?!?!" Bard was panting at the end of his outburst. He locked eyes with Sebastian and froze at the calculating gaze Sebastian was giving him._

_**Well there go my hopes of not having to go back to the army.**_

_Bard sighed before placing a cigarette in his mouth. Sebastian raised an eyebrow as Bard dejectedly made his way towards him._

"_I'll just take my stuff and find an exit. Thanks for your time…and sorry about your kitchen," Bard murmured. A hand on his shoulder stopped Bard in his tracks. He turned around and was surprised to find a smirk on the black-haired man's perfect face._

"_Who said anything about kicking you out?" Sebastian inquired._

"_Eh?!?!?! B-B-B-B-But you said that-"_

"_Yes, I said there would be consequences if you failed to complete the task. You did indeed fail to complete the task. Now you must face the consequences," Sebastian explained. Bard gulped in fear as Sebastian walked past him. Suddenly, Bard was whipped around and smacked squarely in the face with a dust bin._

"_Ow! What the he-" A mouthful of a mop head stopped Bard's mouth in its tracks. Bard looked indignantly at the rich man. Sebastian charmingly smiled as he dumped several cleaning utensils on Bard. Bard rubbed the back of his head, where the handle of a broom had chosen to whack him._

"_Clean up this horrid mess. I do not want to see a single speck of burnt equipment by tomorrow morning, is that clear?" Sebastian ordered. Bard blinked in surprise; he wasn't getting kicked out! Well, at least not immediately. Bard assumed his military position and shouted:_

"_Sir Yes Sir!" Sebastian sighed with irritation before rubbing the tips of his gloved fingers against his temples._

"_You really must work on that while you serve me. I do not think my head will be able to take hearing that every time I ask you to do something," Sebastian grumbled. Bard froze and gave Sebastian a weird stare._

"_Wait…so are you saying…you're not going to send me back to the army?" Bard asked slowly. It was Sebastian's turn to blink in surprise. He chuckled softly._

"_I swear, I really do not understand where you humans come up with such asinine conclusi-" Sebastian choked on his words as he was suddenly enveloped in a bear hug. The pale man froze at the unexpected physical contact. Bard, clearly not sensing the other male's discomfort, continued to cling to the skinnier man._

_**I don't have to leave!!!! I get to stay here and do what I love to do!! I can't believe it…this is just too good to be true!**_

"_Bardaroy…" Sebastian warned. Bard winced before quickly releasing his new master._

"_Sorry…Master," Bard said hesitantly. Sebastian sighed as he did his best to straighten out his ruffled clothing._

"_Yes…sorry. Now get to work," Sebastian commanded harshly before quickly turning on his heel. Although the tone of his new master's voice stung a little, Bard couldn't help but smile at the man's retreating form. Suddenly remembering his role, Bard called out:_

"_Master Michaelis! What do ya want for breakfast tomorrow?!" Sebastian stopped in his tracks before turning to face the overexcited chef._

"_That's quite alright Bardaroy. I will not require anything for tomorrow…or ever for that matter. I would rather not eat food made up of charcoal and carcinogens," Sebastian finished with a pleasant smile. With those last words, Sebastian turned to continue on his way, leaving a slightly confused yet overjoyed chef behind._

_Bard cringed at Sebastian's harsh criticism of his work. Still, the smile on his face didn't waver. He clutched onto the handle of the mop and turned to face the thoroughly destroyed kitchen._

_**Who would've thought my master could be an unexpectedly nice person?**_

**END OF FLASHBACK**

Ciel's eyebrow twitched as Bard softly smiled at the memory.

"So you never figured out what Sebastian's favorite meal was?" Ciel asked coolly. Bard took no notice of Ciel's tone.

"Nope!" he said happily. Ciel sighed in frustration.

_Well, that was an utter waste of time!_

Ciel reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out the newly-discovered watch. Ignoring the irritatingly familiar tune that played, Ciel narrowed his eyes. He had wasted five minutes listening to Bard's pointless story. Ciel sharply closed the pocket watch and looked up at the smoking chef.

"Do you have any idea what he would eat?" Bard rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"To be honest," Bard paused to exhale the tobacco smoke, "I've never seen the guy eat an ounce of food…then again, I don't exactly cook for him," Bard continued.

"Do you know who most likely cooks for him?" Ciel pressed. Bard scrunched his nose in concentration.

"Hmmm, ah! I got it! Maylene would know!" Bard exclaimed.

"Maylene?" As if on cue, the purple-haired maid came dashing down the hall. Bard and Ciel could only watch as the clumsy female stepped on the untied shoelace of her boot. Ciel grunted in pain when the older woman collided with his undeveloped body. Ciel rubbed the back of his head where it had collided with the wooden floor. Maylene furiously shook her head as a light blush appeared on her cheeks.

"S-S-Sorry Ciel! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going…" Maylene quickly apologized. A pointed look from the smaller person prompted Maylene to hurriedly rise to her feet. Ciel slowly moved from his position on the floor. When he was steadily on his feet, Ciel focused his attention on the anxious woman.

"Maylene, you usually clean up after Sebastian correct?" A dark blush rapidly spread over the woman's face. She poked the tips of her index fingers together as an embarrassed smile formed on her face.

"Y-Yes, but I'm not very good at it…" she finished dejectedly.

"Has he ever left any food behind on his dinner plates?" Ciel questioned. Maylene stopped fidgeting for a second. The young maid began to think back on all the times she had cleaned after her master; specifically after he ate. She snapped her fingers as a memory reappeared in her mind.

"The first night I worked for Master Michaelis!" she exclaimed. Bard coughed and Ciel blinked.

"And?"

"And, there was a dinner party being held. I was in charge of cleaning up after the guests…and the master!" Maylene continued. Ciel tapped his foot impatiently.

"What happened?!?!"

Maylene began to fidget again and Ciel had a feeling that her story was going to end the same as Bard's.

_Here comes another waste of five minutes of my life…_

"Well…"

**FLASHBACK**

_The sound of raucous laughter and murmured words could be heard from the other side of the door. Maylene leaned gently against the door with a bottle of wine clutched in her hand. Never had she been so nervous before. It was her first night working as a servant to the coveted Sebastian Michaelis. Although she didn't have to serve the appetizer, main dish, or the dessert, the purple-haired woman was charged with the task of pouring wine._

_It should've been a simple task. But there was one problem: Maylene was having trouble seeing with her new glasses. She could barely see her own feet! The fact that she was nervous as all get wasn't helping matters in the slightest. Maylene felt a slight pressure on her back and quickly stumbled away from the door. Tanaka backed into the kitchen and released a sigh as he set down the tray of dirty dishes. The older male turned to the fidgety female and flashed a reassuring smile that highlighted his old age._

"_Do not be nervous Maylene. The guests are quite polite and easy to please. They are deeply immersed in their conversations; they won't even know you're there," Tanaka said softly. Bard released a snort as he puffed a cigarette near the open door._

"_It's not the guests she's worried about impressing. It's Master Mi-"_

"_Bard!" Maylene quickly cut in. Bard snickered and Tanaka merely smiled at the two younger servants._

"_Ho ho! I think it's wonderful that you wish to please Master Michaelis, Maylene!" Tanaka commented approvingly. Maylene clutched the wine bottle tighter as Bard loudly laughed._

"_Oh yes. She definitely wants to __**please**__ Master Michaelis," Bard teased. Maylene could feel the onset of a bloody nose at the cook's statement. In order to hide her secret perverseness, Maylene turned and darted out of the room…_

_Right into the dining hall. The guests who were once laughing and chatting amiably now stared quietly at the flustered woman. Mortified, Maylene could only shake and turn darker shades of red and violet. The bottle she was holding was shaking so much that some of the liquid was sloshing out of the open top. The sound of a scraping chair attracted the attention of all in the room and Maylene nearly fainted. Sebastian gracefully made his way over to the deeply embarrassed maid. Judging by his controlled facial expression, he was clearly angry._

_Maylene silently whimpered at his facial expression as he stopped directly in front of her. He tsked disapprovingly before tiredly running a hand through his raven locks._

"_Maylene, it is not even that late in the evening; how could you come out with the entire wine bottle already? Are you trying to make drunks out of us?" Sebastian commented good-naturedly. The nearly blind maid's mouth formed a small o as she stared wordlessly at her smirking master. The guests in the room began to chuckle at the maid's fumble before commencing to talk amongst themselves._

_Maylene jumped slightly when the taller male leaned down to whisper into her ear._

"_This is a simple enough task for you right? I merely wish for you to pour some wine into everyone's glasses and quietly back out of the room. You can do that for me can't you?" Sebastian whispered. Maylene turned towards Sebastian and felt her face heat up at the man's close proximity. The slightly pleading facial expression he was making certainly wasn't calming Maylene's racing heartbeat. The shocked maid could only nod once. Sebastian softly smiled at her before making his way back to his seat._

_The woman inhaled shakily before stumbling over to the table. The guests paid her no heed as she unsteadily poured the crimson liquid into each crystal glass. As each glass was filled without a single spilled drop, the woman released a small breath of relief._

_Everything was going perfectly until she came over to her new master. She had purposely saved his glass for last, partly because she wanted her nerves to be calmer. Maylene was determined to make a good impression. However, just being in the man's presence was causing her hairs to stand on end. She gulped nervously and the image of Sebastian's pleading face popped into her mind. A dark blush furiously spread over her face and down to the collar of her outfit. The heat in the room became unbearable for the flustered maid. She could barely see Sebastian's crimson eyes turned to her before she began to pour._

_Maylene knew she had screwed up. The sound of whatever she was pouring the wine onto was completely different than those of a crystal glass. The liquid seemed to splash a lot more and the woman noted that it was taking a longer time to fill. Sebastian loudly cleared his throat and Maylene jumped at the sound. Deciding to look down at her handiwork, the maid felt her throat tighten._

_She had completely missed Sebastian's wine glass. The new servant could only look at the pool of wine residing on her new master's dinner plate. For the second time that night, all attention was focused on Maylene. Embarrassment quickly dominated her emotions._

"_Ah! I'm so sorry Master Michaelis! Let me clean that up for you right away," Maylene exclaimed. She lunged for the wine-covered plate and in her haste to retreat from the room, ended up stepping on her loose shoelace. Flailing her arms wildly, the plate filled with wine flew into the air, and Maylene prepared herself for impact and immense humiliation._

_The middle of her back impacted with something not quite as hard as the floor. Maylene opened her eyes and gasped with shock. Sebastian was currently hovering over her with one hand holding her back for support and the other balancing the wine-filled plate. Maylene blushed at the romantic position and the pale man smirked. Sebastian and his new maid locked eyes for a moment, and Maylene felt her heart leap to her throat and her insides turn into mush. The nearly expressionless facial expression present on Sebastian's face mixed with the intensity of his unnatural eye color made Maylene feel slightly dizzy._

_When murmurs could be heard from the other guests, Sebastian broke eye contact with the servant, and he smiled invitingly at his company._

"_I must say, my new maid surely knows her master like the back of her hand. Who would've known that I enjoy drinking my wine off of a plate instead of glass?" To backup his statement, Sebastian focused his attention on his light-headed maid and proceeded to elegantly drink from the dishware. Some scandalized gasps could be heard from some of the guests, but many were chuckling good-naturedly. When the master of the manor finished drinking from the plate, he blinked in surprise at his passed out maid. It wasn't the fact she had fainted in her master's arms; she had a slight trickle of blood currently running from her nose._

**END OF FLASHBACK**

"You passed out?!" Ciel exclaimed incredulously. Maylene blushed bright red and made a shushing motion with her hands. Meanwhile, Bard raucously laughed at the memory. Tears formed in the corners of the cook's eyes as he held onto his sides.

"Ohohoho! And she's been head over heels for him ever since!" Bard yelled. Maylene waved both of her hands at her fellow servants to try and calm them down. God forbid Sebastian decided to roam down the hall at this very moment. Maylene was quite sure she would die from either embarrassment or blood loss.

"B-B-BARD!!! That is n-not true!" she screeched. Bard wiped at the corners of his eyes as he tried to regain control of his breathing.

"Ooohhh? My apologies Maylene. What I meant was she's been in love with him from the first moment she laid eyes on him!" Bard declared. Maylene leaped in front of Bard and erratically waved her arms in front of his face.

"Stop it already Bard! You k-k-k-know that's a lie!" she yelped. A sly smile spread on the blond man's face.

"If that's the case, why are you so flustered?" he questioned.

"B-B-B-B-Because it's scandalous! A s-servant being in l-l-l-love with their m-m-m-master?!" A contemplative look crossed over Ciel's face.

"What's wrong with that?" Both Bard and Maylene focused their attention on the young butler. "As long as the two feel mutual love for one another, why should it matter who serves who? Doesn't love transcend all?" Ciel asked.

He breathed a sigh of relief when neither adult responded to his question.

_That should keep them quiet for a while._

Ciel rummaged through the large pocket of his pants and pulled out the annoying music-playing watch. He opened the time-telling device and sighed irritably at both the time and the tune. The young male only had one hour and five minutes to prepare a meal for his "master".

The sharp snap of the watch jolted the servants' from their respective thought processes. Maylene blinked and readjusted her eyeglasses. A soft gasp from the maid attracted Ciel's attention.

"Where did you get that?!" she exclaimed, pointing at the now closed pocket watch. The dark-haired boy paused and gave her a questioning look.

"From the pocket of my pants…Why do you ask?"

"B-Because that's Master M-Michaelis' most prized possession!" Maylene exclaimed with a light blush. Bard rolled his eyes.

"Only Maylene would know something as trivial as that…" Maylene whirled on the blonde man.

"It's not trivial! Master Michaelis has been looking for that watch since yesterday!" Maylene countered. Ciel blinked and looked down at the object he deemed a piece of junk.

_This music-playing watch is that demon's most prized possession? It really is not anything special when you truly look at it…the only "special" thing about it is the fact it can play music. This to me is an utter waste of mechanical material. If what Maylene is saying is true, which judging by her reaction seems to be the case, then why was it in a pair of old butler pants? If Sebastian truly cared for this item, shouldn't it have been in a harder place to find?_

A slow smile spread on Ciel's face. It all made sense now. With a sharp clap of his hands, the two servants quickly ended their quarrel.

"Alright, that's quite enough. It is currently 4 o'clock, and I must have Se-, I mean Master Michaelis', favorite meal prepared and presented to him in one hour," Ciel stated. The surprised looks on both Bard and Maylene's faces slightly amused the youngest servant.

"I-I-I-In an h-h-hour?!?!" Maylene shrieked with disbelief.

"There's no way a well-prepared meal can be completed in such a short amount of time!" Bard cried. Ciel smirked.

"You make a good point Bardaroy. However, the type of meal that the dem-, I mean master, loves can be easily prepared in this time period," Ciel responded calmly. Both servants opened their mouths to object, but their words were stopped by Ciel raising his gloved hand.

"However, it's going to require some assistance. I'm going to need Maylene's knowledge of the manor, and Bard's unique…um, cooking style. Will you two be able to aid me?" Ciel asked politely. Maylene eagerly agreed while Bard silently nodded. On the inside, however, the male cook was glowing with the comment Ciel had made. No one had ever called his cooking style unique before! Ciel inwardly sighed with relief before looking up and down the hall.

"Do you two happen to know where Finnian is?" Right on cue (which seemed to be occurring more and more often as the day progressed), a loud crash was heard from the far end of the corridor. Ciel, Bard, and Maylene quickly rushed to the source of the sound. When they arrived, the threesome found Finny currently engaged in a battle against a fairly large cockroach. Maylene squeaked in fear and disgust while Bard growled in disapproval.

"Finny, you moron! What in the hell do you think you're doing?!?!" Bard roared. Shocked by the volume of the cook's voice, the gardener instantly dropped the large marble column he was holding in his arm. Ciel could only stare silently at the new cracks in the wooden floor that surrounded the heavy object.

"Ah, Bard! S-Sorry! I was just trying to kill the bug…but I think I missed, hehehe," Finny laughed nervously while scratching the back of his head. Judging by the several gaping holes in the floor and wall, Finny was making quite the understatement.

"You think?!?!?! Must you always do stupid thi-?"

"That's quite enough Bardaroy," Ciel cut in. Bard opened his mouth to object, but the look on the butler's face stopped him in his tracks. Ciel turned his attention to the sheepish gardener.

"Would you like to lend me a hand Finnian?" Ciel asked smoothly.

**XXX**

"You want me to do what?!?!?!?!" Finny exclaimed. The looks of shock on all three of the servants' faces contrasted sharply with Ciel's calm expression.

"Indeed. I want you and Maylene to gather up every stove in this manor and report back to this kitchen with them," Ciel responded. Finny and Maylene looked at each other in utter disbelief; could this guy be serious? Clearly he didn't realize the consequences of having Finny in any type of cooking environment…

Bard shuddered at the memory.

**FLASHBACK**

"_Alright kid. Since I'm the head chef of the manor, you have to listen to everything I say and do everything I tell you to do, when I tell you to do it. Got it?" Bard barked. The tone of the older man's voice caused Finny to stand a little straighter._

"_A-Ah, yes!" the red-head responded. Bard reached behind him for a hanging pan and handed the object to the other male. Finny stared at the metal cooking device with confusion etched on his young face._

"_That…is a pan. It is one of the most basic and essential of all cooking items," Bard narrated. Finny nodded with understanding. Bard moved to grab a pot._

"_This is a pot. It is also a basic and essential cooking item. Without these two pieces of equipment, the art of cooking would be nearly impossible," Bard droned. Finny's eyes sparkled as he held what were deemed the two most essential cooking items in the kitchen. The blond man stared at his younger counterpart before shrugging indifferently. To be honest, the cook wasn't sure why his master had hired someone like Finny to work here. He seemed to be more of a liability than a help. From what Maylene had told him, Master Michaelis had to move him into the kitchen because he was breaking all of the cleaning utensils and objects he was supposed to be cleaning._

_Most of the objects in the kitchen were metal, so it would be difficult for a boy Finny's size to break anything. His master had ordered him to assist the red-head with the task of preparing a meal for him before five o'clock to test his abilities in the kitchen. Bard had been a little reluctant; he preferred to work alone. The bubbly boy standing before him was only cementing Bard's need to work independently._

"_Alright Franklin…"_

"_It's Finny!"_

"_Right…let's get cooking!" Bard said. Finny cheered. Both males winced at the sound of breaking glass._

"_Ah, sorry Bard! I guess they slipped," Finny apologized nervously. The older man sighed at the younger's mistake._

"_Whatever. Just be careful next time okay?" Bard slightly scolded. Finny's eyes lit up again as a large grin spread on his face._

"_Okay!" he responded enthusiastically._

"_Alright, the first thing I need for you to do is to retrieve the master cookbook for me," Bard instructed. Bard turned away from his new cooking assistant and rummaged through the cabinets to search for a replacement pot and pan. A sudden crash caused the usually composed cook to jump out of his skin. He quickly whirled around and gaped at the scene in front of him. The red-head was currently smiling widely as he held the entire cupboard in his arms. Bard could only stare at the hole in the wall where the furniture used to be._

"_H-H-H-H-H-How…?" Bard stammered. For a moment, Finny looked genuinely confused by the head cook's stuttering. A light bulb went off in the younger's mind and he shifted the cabinet to one hand in order to scratch the back of his head._

"_Ah, well the cupboard was too high for me to reach so I decided to just take the entire thing down to my level!" Finny replied happily. Bard gritted his teeth._

"_You idiot!!! Why didn't you just use a stepping stool?!" Bard roared. Finny flinched at the man's volume before suddenly dropping the item. The assistant clasped his hands in front of himself._

"_I'm soooooo sorry Bard!!! Please don't be angry with me!" Finny pleaded. Bard grunted before waving dismissively._

"_From now on, you will be in charge of mixing or preparing the ingredients. Got it?" Bard ordered. Finny enthusiastically nodded. Bard leaned down to pick out the master cookbook from the now destroyed wooden container. He flipped through the large book. When he reached a page for a recipe that seemed fairly easy for beginner cooks, Bard proudly slapped the book down in front of the future chef to be._

_After a few minutes, Finny grinned and reached for a large cutting knife. Bard breathed deeply and reached in his pocket for a cigarette. Even though he wasn't technically allowed to smoke in the manor, Bard felt he deserved a freebie considering the stress he was currently experiencing. The blond man lit up the stick, and he began to breathe in the comforting fumes from the tobacco._

_**CRACK!**_

_Bard was rudely jolted from his temporary heaven and spun around to see what the problem was this time. Finny's emerald eyes darted between Bard and the destroyed cutting board and fractured knife. Bard resisted the urge to strangle Finny and mourn the loss of his favorite knife._

"_Um, heh heh…sorry Bard…" Finny apologized hesitantly. Bard mentally counted to ten before stalking over to the shorter male. With restrained anger, Bard dragged the unnaturally strong boy over to the stove._

"_You…will be in charge of the actual cooking process. There's NO WAY you can mess this up…right? Nod if you understand," Bard said in a controlled voice. Finny robotically nodded, and Bard grimaced before moving over to finish cutting up the vegetables. Once that was completed, the manor cook began to cure and marinate the beef used in the beef stew._

_After about thirty minutes, Bard's emotions were cooled, and he pleasantly brought the ingredients over to his troubling assistant. Bard watched Finny like a hawk as the red-head scraped the meat and vegetables into the boiling water. Both men breathed a sigh of relief when no mishaps occurred. Bard walked over to the supply cabinet and pulled out a wooden spoon._

_He thrust the object at Finny and pointed to the simmering pot._

"_Make sure you stir that every so often or else the entire thing will be ruined," Bard instructed. Finny nodded with determination and turned to focus all of his attention on the stew._

_As if a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, Bard settled down on a wooden stool with a sigh. For a second there, he had been close to murdering…_

_The sound of crunching metal and hissing water jerked the older male out of his train of thought. His eyes widened to comic proportions at the scene in front of him. The wooden spoon had created a hole in the pot, and the stew was currently leaking onto the surface of the stove. Finny shakily smiled at the silent chef._

"_S-Sor-"_

"_Save it…" Bard quickly cut in. He looked between Finny and the stove for a few seconds before a manic smile spread on his face._

"_There are two problems with this situation," Bard began. Finny blinked at the lack of anger in his voice._

"_One, you are completely useless in the kitchen," he continued. Finny bowed his head in shame at the cook's words. The sound of clicking alerted the younger's attention, and he looked up to see Bard holding a large gun-like object in his hand. The blond man aimed the object at the destroyed pot._

"_And two…this is taking WAY too long!" he yelled._

**END OF FLASHBACK**

Ciel wordlessly stared at the two sheepish males (he hadn't seen the flashback).

"Well, are you going to help me or not?" Ciel prompted. A sparkle seemed to develop around the red-head while an aura of doom enveloped Bard.

"Of course I'll help you Ciel!" Finny cheered. Bard grunted while Maylene smiled.

"Ok then…Maylene and Finny, you guys go find…five stoves and bring them here immediately," Ciel ordered. Maylene and Finny darted out of the kitchen, leaving Bard and Ciel alone in the kitchen.

"Bard, do you have a cookbook that you use to help…inspire…you to cook?" Ciel asked. Bard smirked before walking over to the far corner of the kitchen. The butler watched as the self-proclaimed chef pulled out a large book. The cover was covered in dust and spider webs, and the sides of the book were yellowed and wrinkled. The book looked as if it had been around for centuries.

"I don't usually use a cookbook considering I create my own works of art…but considering your position, I guess it's acceptable if I follow it for once," Bard commented. Ciel mentally rolled his eyes at the blond cook's hubris before holding his gloved hands out. Bard carefully placed the ancient book in the young boy's hands. Ciel staggered a bit at the sheer weight of the cookbook.

_My God! How many recipes are in this thing?!?!_

The dark-haired child quickly placed the book on top of a counter. He ignored Bard's snickers as he used a stepping stool to become level with the countertop. The short boy sniffed daintily at the smell of mold and mildew as he opened to the first yellowed page of the book. He sighed at the blurred text from several water spots. As he flipped through the book, Ciel noted that all the recipes were written in an elegant script.

Despite his current failures at finding recipes he could read, let alone make, Ciel felt a sense of relief. He had been fearful that along with his lost memories, he had lost the ability to do basic skills such as reading and writing. He was pleased that he could decipher the meaning of the words as his uncovered eye skimmed over the fancily written text.

That sense of calm and relief was quickly replaced with annoyance. Every page the young Phantomhive turned to was covered in various ink blots and water spots. The weathered book clearly had not been taken care of, taking into account the fact that every time Ciel turned a page, he could hear the spine of the book crack.

The young butler resisted the urge to cheer when he turned to the next page of the recipe book. This recipe was perfect! For one thing, he could actually read the ENTIRE recipe. For two, it was fairly easy to prepare considering Ciel's lack of cooking knowledge. Thirdly, he was positive that the large estate had all of the ingredients necessary for preparing this dish.

A devilish smirk developed on his young face. Yes, this would work perfectly. Placing a gloved finger on the page, Ciel turned to Bard.

"Have you ever prepared something like this before Bard?" Ciel inquired. Bard raised an eyebrow out of curiosity and leaned towards the younger boy. He blinked before a smile spread on his face.

"Why, I wouldn't be able to call myself a chef if I didn't know how to prepare something of this nature!" Bard proclaimed proudly. Ciel nodded intelligently before reaching into his pants pocket. He checked the current time before glancing over at the estimated prep and cooking time.

Perfect.

**XXX**

"Ow! I just wanted a taste!" Finny whined. The gardener nursed the back of his hand where Ciel had just smacked him with a wooden mixing spoon. The dark-haired child held the spoon threateningly while he glared at the complaining boy.

"You can't touch this Finny! You have a job to do anyway," Ciel reminded him. Finny blinked before pointing behind him.

"But I already finished doing that!" Finny complained. Ciel turned fully around to verify if the red-head was indeed telling the truth.

The two counters located to the stove's immediate right and left had been removed with the help of Finny's immense strength. The spot where these counters had once been had been replaced with two stoves; one on the right and one on the left. Directly in front of the original stove was the third stove Ciel had requested for Finny and Maylene to retrieve. Another stove was placed directly behind the center stove. Located on the top of the middle stove was the fifth and final oven.

Ciel sighed and wiped off the flour that had accumulated on his once immaculate gloves. The young butler was currently sporting a white apron that began around his waist and extended to the middle of his shins. With the help of Maylene, Ciel had located the two straps that attached to two snap on buttons located on the middle of the sleeves of his white-button up shirt. These straps helped to hold Ciel's rolled up sleeves in place. He wasn't wearing his top jacket in order to prevent the expensive material from being ruined in case he spilt anything. The black vest he wore over the dress shirt was surprisingly free of anything that could permanently stain it. Only bits and splotches of flour covered the material.

"Finny, do you think you can move the stove located in front over to the side? I won't be able to put this in the oven if I can't open the door," Ciel reasoned. Finny smiled, content with having something to do, and happily went to complete his new task.

"Ciel! Here's the ingredient you wanted!" Maylene called excitedly. Ciel turned to the running maid and held out his hand for the bottle. The purple-haired maid handed it to him, and the child butler proceeded to pour the next ingredient into the mixture.

"Thank you Maylene. Time check?" Ciel called out as he smoothly stirred the ingredients together. Bard poked his head out from the cabinet and turned to the clock hanging over the arrangement of stoves.

"A quarter to five Ciel!" he hollered. Ciel sighed and willed away his nerves; he knew he could complete this task. Everything was going according to his schedule.

_I just have to make sure those three don't screw anything up! Which is definitely easier said than done…_

Already Finny had broken one of the original four stoves, while Maylene had broken about three of the containers holding some of the ingredients for the recipe. Ciel, of course, had planned ahead based on the stories he had heard from Maylene and Bard earlier.

Now, however, there was no room for error. Ciel had used up all the allotted time for mistakes. Everything had to go perfectly or else his whole plan would go up in flames. Not only that, he would have to admit defeat to Sebastian, which is something Ciel was definitely **not** planning on doing.

With one final stir, Ciel jumped down from the stool and carefully crossed the dirtied kitchen floor. It would be treacherous if he ended up dropping the bowl; all his hard work would be for naught.

Ciel climbed up onto another stool and proceeded to pour the mix into the pan Bard had prepared earlier. When nearly every last drop had been poured, Ciel turned to an ecstatic Finny and handed him the spoon. Finny's eyes shimmered with happy tears as he ran to hug Ciel. Sensing imminent danger, the young boy slid over to the side. Finny darted right past him and ended up crashing into Maylene, who was currently carrying a tray full of dirty dishes. With a crash and two simultaneous shrieks, the two servants were covered with dirty dish water. Ciel winced at the sight of the cracked and shattered dishes.

_I really hope I don't have to clean that up…_

"Bard, are you ready?" Ciel called over his shoulder. Bard slowly stood up and turned around to flash Ciel a quick thumbs up. The young servant nodded and walked over to the center stove. Ciel carefully placed the pan into the oven and quickly shut the oven door. He walked over to where Bard was currently positioned.

"Are you sure this is gonna work kid?" Bard asked, doubt evident in his voice. Ciel looked up at the taller man before looking back at the carefully arranged stoves. He shrugged before gently smiling up at Bard.

"Who knows?" he replied. Bard blinked with surprise; he had expected a confident yes. Shrugging it off, the blond looked pointedly at Finny. The gardener gulped nervously before pushing the front stove back into position.

Maylene went to stand on Ciel's right side, while Finny stood to Bard's left. Ciel looked at the clock hanging over the stove and inhaled deeply. It was seven to five.

_This has to work. I know it will…it has to._

Almost simultaneously, all four servants slid heat-resistant goggles over their eyes. Bard cocked the flame thrower to aim directly at the front stove. Ciel winced as another wave of pain traveled throughout his body. For the past thirty minutes, the young butler had been experiencing random spurts of pain originating from his covered eye. Ciel deducted that it was a silent yet painful reminder to complete the task his master had assigned him. However, the pain was becoming unbearable because there was nearly no break in between the shocks now. Ciel squinted at the stoves one final time before turning towards Bard.

"Whenever you're ready," he said. Bard grunted before a large smile spread on his face.

"Let's do this!" he yelled before pulling the trigger. Brilliant orange-yellow flames erupted from the tip of the flame thrower, showering the kitchen with sparks when it came in contact with the first oven. The heat was nearly unbearable, but Ciel remained close to the cook nevertheless. He had to make sure Bard focused on the instructions he had given him.

Ciel had reasoned that since ovens usually became hot on both the inside and outside once they heated up, increasing the amount of heat would help to make the recipe cook at a much faster rate. The plan was for Bard to aim the flame thrower directly at each of the four visible stoves for about one minute. That way the stoves wouldn't melt or char to bits due to the immense heat. The amount of heat that would build up on the surface of each stove would transfer to the oven in the center, causing the already heated stove to cook much quicker. By having five ovens, Ciel hypothesized the cooking time for the recipe would be reduced five times over. Also, by arranging the ovens in their current positions, every part of the food would be cooked evenly. Originally, Bard had proposed shooting the flames directly at one oven, but Ciel had pointed out that the recipe and the stove would most likely char and become uneatable.

A sheen of sweat quickly developed on Bard's brow as he shifted the flame thrower to the oven located to the left. Ciel released a puff of air at the sight of the blackened oven. So far things were going perfectly. The butler signaled to Maylene to begin final preparations, and Ciel listened intently for the sound of her retreating footsteps.

With five minutes to go, Bard shifted the flames to the top oven. Ciel signaled for Finny to get into position, and the sound of splintering wood alerted him that the gardener was ready.

**Four minutes.**

Bard moved the flames to the fourth and final oven. Ciel licked his suddenly dry lips in anticipation. Things had to work like clockwork now in order for him to make it in time.

**Three minutes.**

The flames were instantly cut off. No sooner had the final lick of fire touched the oven did a large marble statue scream through the air. Ciel covered his ears as the marble collided perfectly with the center of the first oven. The sound of shattering metal and cracking marble filled the air. The youngest male quickly whipped off his protective goggles and raced to the freed center oven. With speed that would make Sebastian proud, Ciel quickly opened the oven door and pulled out the finished creation. Taking less than one second to evaluate the food item, Ciel sighed with relief.

**Two minutes.**

Another sharp stab raced throughout Ciel's body, causing him to freeze up. "Ciel!!! Two minutes!" Bard roared. Ciel gritted his teeth and darted away from the oven over to the counter. With a quick flourish, Ciel placed another item on top of the recipe and darted out of the kitchen.

**One minute.**

Ciel darted out of the destroyed kitchen and sprinted down the hall. He clutched the object in his two hands. Skidding to a halt, Ciel rounded the corner and saw a flash of glass.

**Thirty seconds.**

Using the heel of his oversized shoes, Ciel spun out of the way and managed to not only avoid colliding with Maylene, but he was able to grab the small item in her hand.

**Twenty seconds.**

The sharpest stab of pain Ciel had yet to experience raced through his body. Ciel cried out but refused to stop.

**Ten seconds.**

Nearly forgetting the item he clutched in his hand, Ciel quickly set it on the edge of the now completed recipe.

**Five seconds.**

Ciel turned another corner and raced to the double doors at the end. Ciel felt as if his heart was beating in time with the ticking seconds of the clock.

**Two and a half seconds.**

Ciel was halfway down the longest corridor in the entire mansion. Ciel willed his body to push, to continue to fight. There was no way he would lose the challenge now. Not when he was so close.

**One second.**

Ciel outstretched his hand to the door handle that was just a few feet out of his reach and slid the tray with the meal onto the cart right outside the door.

**Half of a second.**

Ciel took a quick breath and could almost feel the door handle.

**Times up.**

**XXX**

Just as the large grandfather clock tolled the hour, Ciel turned the doorknob and proceeded into Sebastian's study.

The sound of rolling wheels alerted Sebastian's attention and the master of the manor looked up from the slip of paper he had been studying.

A smug smile appeared on Ciel's face as Sebastian glanced at the clock. Sebastian wordlessly leaned back in the large chair and studied Ciel's appearance.

To put it nicely, he looked like crap.

Ciel's normally neat and tidy locks were askew and somewhat matted down with sweat. His face was covered with a mixture of soot and flour, along with his once clean and pristine clothing. He was out of breath and looked as if he would drop out right at Sebastian's door. A smirk found its way onto Sebastian's face.

"Well, it seems as if you have arrived on time…for once," Sebastian began slowly. When Ciel made no movement towards his desk, Sebastian beckoned for him to come towards him.

"I cannot tell if you have truly completed the task if you do not come closer. Come," Sebastian requested.

"Wait… just… a moment," Ciel suddenly stated. Sebastian stared intently at him as Ciel attempted to catch his breath. Ciel locked eyes with his master, who coolly stared back.

"There's…a matter I must…attend to," Ciel said. Curiosity piqued, Sebastian waited patiently as his pet walked towards his desk without the meal cart. Ciel's smug smile slipped off of his face and was replaced with an accusing glare as he placed his hand on the desk.

"You tricked me…" Ciel whispered accusingly. Sebastian merely stared; he neither denied nor affirmed Ciel's accusation. Despite his strong dislike for the being before him, Ciel leaned closer to the impassive demon.

"You have no favorite meal…well, at least not what humans can prepare," Ciel corrected himself. Sebastian shifted in his chair and leaned closer to Ciel. Their two faces were inches apart and neither showed signs of backing down.

"Ooohhh? What proof do you have to back up your statement… my pet?" Sebastian inquired. The smug smile reappeared on Ciel's face as he removed his hand from the desk and leaned back.

"You gave yourself away…or perhaps you did this on purpose?" Ciel countered. Sebastian looked down where Ciel's hand had just been. Lying on the table between the master and the servant was a single pocket watch.

"Ah, it seems you've found my watch. I've been searching tirelessly for it," Sebastian remarked innocently. Ciel narrowed his eyes.

"Don't feign innocence with me demon," Ciel spat back. Sebastian's eyes flashed at being referred to so disrespectfully, but Ciel continued.

"You purposely placed this watch in the pocket of my pants, didn't you?" Ciel asked. Sebastian smirked confidently and leaned back in his chair.

"Now, what would be my motive to do such a thing? Why would I put one of my most prized possessions in the hands of a mere child?" Sebastian questioned. Ciel tiredly smiled before he began to pace in front of the wooden desk.

"I asked myself those same questions. What would be the point of giving me something dear to you when we hardly know one another? Maylene told me you had been searching frantically for it, but if that was the case, then why was it in such an obvious place? Then it hit me," Ciel reached for the watch and fingered the gold object for a few seconds. He held the watch to Sebastian and confidently smiled.

"It's not the watch that's important. It's what it symbolizes. See, I noticed when Bard and Maylene were telling me stories of their past experiences with you and your challenges, there was a key similarity. It was small, minute even, but it was there. The most precious thing to you," Ciel clicked the button on the side and ignored the music that flowed out, "is time." Ciel confidently shut the watch and turned away from his silent master.

"You're probably wondering how I figured out that you tricked me…it was simple really. Once I discovered what you truly prize, all the other pieces fell into place. The challenge of preparing your favorite meal was a decoy; the true challenge was to arrive with something prepared at the designated time, in this case five o'clock. You wouldn't care what I or anyone else made or brought to you, as long as it was brought on time. In other words, your favorite meal is not food; it's things that are prepared or occur on time. Bard failed his challenge not because he failed to make something edible, but because he failed to have something ready on time. He was too late. With Maylene, she arrived too early, throwing off your entire schedule; therefore, losing the challenge. I, however," Ciel walked to the cart and slowly poured tea into a teacup. With the tea in one hand and the platter in another, Ciel strode over to Sebastian's desk. He gently set the platter and drink before the demon. With a charming smile that put Sebastian's to shame, Ciel placed one gloved hand over his heart and bowed.

"…won the challenge and present you with your favorite meal…my lord," Ciel finished.

After a moment, Ciel straightened up. The superior smile present on his face never wavered; even when Sebastian chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Ciel asked politely. Sebastian didn't respond as he pulled off one of his gloves. Ciel watched wordlessly as the glowing symbol identical to his own slowly faded. If he didn't know any better, he would've assumed the now black symbol was just some type of tattoo.

"It seems you have indeed completed the task. Not only that, you even figured out the true motive behind my request. I'm quite impressed," Sebastian remarked.

"However…" Sebastian said as he slowly rose from his chair. Ciel remained motionless as his demon master walked to stand directly in front of him. The two locked eyes for a moment. Ciel wasn't sure why, but he began to feel nervous as Sebastian continued to look at him. It seemed as if his master was hiding something from him. He seemed too amused with losing his own challenge; there had to be something more. The pale man smirked before leaning down to whisper into Ciel's ear. Ciel tensed as his hot breath washed over the sensitive shell.

"I do indeed have a favorite meal…and it can be prepared by humans," he whispered. Ciel's eyes widened; if that was the case, didn't that mean he lost the challenge? Why was Sebastian telling him he won if he did indeed have a favorite meal?

Sebastian raised his ungloved hand and began to stroke the side of Ciel's face. The boy could feel the beginnings of a blush spread over his face. Their whole position was too intimate for Ciel's tastes. The supernatural being leaned away from Ciel's face and used his gloved hand to gently grip his pet's chin. He tilted his face up so that Ciel was looking directly in his eyes. Ciel's breath hitched; Sebastian's normally red eyes were starting to glow faintly, like blood-red rubies. He could see himself perfectly reflected in their swirling depths. The room seemed to darken and chill around Ciel, but he took no notice as Sebastian's eyes became brighter and redder. His hair became darker, and Ciel swore he saw the demon's teeth elongate as he slowly smiled.

"Do you have any idea what it is I hunger for? That I crave, desire, need? Well, do you… Ciel?" the seductive voice asked. Each word washed over Ciel, immersing him in its rich and velvety tones, dripping like honey from Sebastian's lips. His voice seemed darker, deeper, and more suggestive. This being was no longer his master; he was a predator, and Ciel was his prey. The young butler felt his mind fog as he continued to gaze into the demon's hypnotizing eyes. His lips quivered as he slowly opened his mouth.

"Not at all…master," Ciel responded tonelessly. Sebastian's smile grew wider, and Ciel could clearly identify fangs. If he didn't know what Sebastian was, he would've thought he was a vampire. Faster than Ciel's mind could comprehend, he suddenly found himself lying on top of Sebastian's desk. Ciel froze as Sebastian hovered above him; the demon's gaze physically and mentally pinned the boy to the desk. Ciel found it impossible to move, and Sebastian's smile grew even larger at Ciel's predicament.

"What I hunger for…is souls," Sebastian whispered lowly.

Without warning, Sebastian lunged for Ciel's lips. Ciel's eyes widened in absolute shock as Sebastian assaulted his lips for the second time in one day. But this time, the kiss seemed different; it was more forceful, passionate, and mind-blowing. Ciel felt an electric bolt course throughout his body as his body heat increased substantially. Sebastian held Ciel's gaze and Ciel cried out as the demon savagely bit down on his bottom lip. His master took the opportunity and plunged his tongue into the moist depths. Ciel began to struggle as one of Sebastian's hands roamed down the front of his body. Things were becoming so hot; Ciel couldn't think. An unfamiliar heat was pooling below his waist, and Sebastian's tongue was just so cool and moist. The child butler loudly moaned when Sebastian turned his head to change the angle of the kiss. The teasing look in the demon's eyes caused Ciel to flush a deep red. There was no way he could be enjoying this…NO WAY!

Ciel's struggles increased as he felt Sebastian loosen his tie. The silky material slid off of the desk, and Sebastian went to work on the buttons of Ciel's vest. At this point, Ciel knew things were going WAY too far. Ciel pressed the palms of his hands to Sebastian's chest and forcefully pushed him away. The demon reluctantly broke the kiss; Ciel felt as if he was going to vomit at the sight of the string of saliva that connected the two's lips. Sebastian leaned further back, causing the string to break. He leaned down and licked the trail from the bottom of Ciel's chin to his bottom lip. Ciel shivered at the feeling and felt immense relief when Sebastian didn't go in for another kiss.

"W-What the hell was that?!" Ciel yelled. His chest rose and fell as he tried to regain his breath. Sebastian merely gazed down at his flustered servant before leaning back down. He was so close to Ciel that the butler could feel his master's lips ghost over his own as he spoke.

"Congratulations, you are officially a servant to the Michaelis manor. You've passed the mouth inspection," he murmured. Ciel's eyes widened. He roughly shoved the larger man off of him as he moved into a sitting position.

"A what?!?!?! You…a…what…inspection?!" Ciel scowled at the sweetly smiling demon. Sebastian feigned innocence as he walked back to sit in his seat. He pulled the platter towards him and lifted the cover.

"Oh my. Devil's food cake," Sebastian commented. Ciel hopped off of the desk and immediately slammed his fists down on the table.

"Are you trying to be funny?!" he yelled. Sebastian looked at him quizzically.

"What is the use of an Earl being able to tell jokes?" Sebastian asked. Ciel growled angrily and Sebastian raised an eyebrow at the threatening aura developing around his small figure. He sighed before reaching to cut himself a slice of the cake. He chewed thoughtfully and pretended to listen to Ciel's angry rant.

"You're a disgrace, you know that?! What kind of Earl are you? A pedophilic one, that's what you are! Pedophiles like you should be locked up for freakin' life! I can't believe you had the audacity to put **your** tongue in **my** mouth! Do you know how unsanitary that is?! I don't know where that mouth of yours has been…and I definitely don't need to know that information either! No warning either!!! Not that I would ever let you kiss me or anything. Who did you get your manners from?! Because let me tell you "master", you definitely have none whatsoever! And another thi-" Ciel gagged as Sebastian tugged roughly on the front of his vest. Sebastian looked seriously at Ciel's reddened face before giving him a quick peck on the lips. Ciel sputtered, but was silenced by a fork with a piece of cake being shoved in his mouth. Sebastian wasted no time in latching onto Ciel's mouth. The angered butler shuddered at the feel of Sebastian's tongue slipping through his lips. The thought of another man's tongue being in his mouth sickened Ciel. The dark-haired boy silently cheered when Sebastian finally released him. Ciel stumbled backwards from the demon's desk and pointed an accusing finger at the emotionless male.

"See?!?! Exactly what I'm talking about! Why did you do that?!" he yelled. Sebastian sighed and rubbed his temples.

"I like it much better when you're quiet…" he complained. Ciel glared at the annoyed Earl.

"I wouldn't be yelling if you weren't doing things without people's permission," Ciel said in a strained voice. Sebastian blinked.

"You didn't enjoy that?"

Ciel could only gape at the pale man.

"What would make you think such a thing?! Does it look like I enjoyed it?" Ciel asked with disbelief. The supernatural being licked his lips before staring down his disturbed butler.

"But I felt your pleasure…"

"WHAT?!?!?!"

"…and gained some information as well," Sebastian continued calmly. Interest piqued, Ciel calmed himself down and looked intently at the older male.

"Information?" he asked. Sebastian nodded once. He slid his glove over his contract-bearing hand before holding up one of his hands.

"I learned exactly five specific details from those two inspections…" Ciel scowled, "…I just gave you," Sebastian continued. Ciel began to straighten out his rumpled vest and reached down for his lost tie.

"One thing I learned was you felt immense pleasure when I kissed you the first time…as if your increase in body temperature and fiery blush weren't obvious enough," Sebastian said slyly. Ciel glared accusingly while he tied his tie.

"What were the other four?" he asked impatiently. Sebastian leaned back leisurely as he put another forkful of cake in his mouth. He chewed for a moment and silently swallowed.

"The second bit of information was you didn't poison the cake. This slightly surprised me, considering your obvious dislike for me. I was also able to identify the drug that was used on you last evening," Sebastian said. Ciel raised an eyebrow at that; Sebastian's sense of taste was that strong?

"It seemed to be a mix of several brands of aphrodisiacs covered in a white chocolate shell. The dosage amount wasn't enough to kill you, but it was strong enough to cause significant loss of mobility and brain functions. Hence, your inability to move, speak, and remain conscious," Sebastian paused to allow for that information to process in Ciel's mind.

"What were the other two?" Ciel urged.

"The fourth thing I was able to discover was you have no addiction to drugs or alcohol. This is wonderful news because I would hate to have had to lose a servant so quickly," Sebastian commented kindly. Ciel snorted at the statement. Of course he didn't do drugs or drink alcohol; he was only 12 years old!

"Finally, the most interesting thing I garnered from this inspection is you have quite a delicious soul," Sebastian finished. Ciel felt a jolt of shock race throughout his body before quickly being replaced with rage.

"You…bastard! You directly violated the contract?" Ciel tensely remarked as he clenched his fists by his side. Sebastian took another bite of the cake his pet prepared for him and steadily stared at the enraged child. He slowly swallowed the dessert.

"I did no such thing. That would be completely against my aesthetics. Nowhere in the contract did it say I could not taste test my future meal…and what a taste," Sebastian calmly replied. Ciel froze at the statement. He suddenly gasped when he felt a presence behind his back. His one visible eye widened considerably at the empty seat where Sebastian had just been lounging.

_W-What?! How did he move so quickly? I didn't even see him get up from the chair!_

A pair of strong arms wound their way around Ciel's midsection. The young butler's breath hitched as Sebastian's tongue slowly traced the shell of his ear. He sharply bit his lip to prevent himself from crying out as Sebastian nipped at the lobe.

"Deception…pain…desire…hopelessness…darkness," he murmured slowly. "A darkness as pitch black and desolate as Hell itself…such hatred flows through your veins, to your very core. The desire for revenge runs deep in your blood…I could clearly taste it. The desire to live has been extinguished like a lit candle. A soul, so tainted by the loss of loved ones and the desires of others. An enveloping shell of mourning and grief; it throbs just below your skin. Tainted by the touches of others, forbidden touches no less. Such sights these young eyes have seen; sights that have forever been etched into the depths of your soul. Hardened emotions…it almost appears as if you have lost the ability to truly feel. What tortures did you endure young one? What ordeals did you face? What hardships did you experience in order for your soul to be so deliciously prepared? So desirable?" Sebastian's voice resonated throughout the room. Ciel's breathing picked up as each poisoned word was whispered gently in his ear. He couldn't bring himself to believe such things about his soul! Sure, he couldn't remember anything of his past, but that didn't mean his soul was polluted!

An eerie calm settled over the two males. Neither one moved, waiting for the other to make the finishing blow.

"If my soul is so wonderful, then why not just eat it now? Renounce the contract and give into your own desires. I have no reason to live my life serving under the likes of you," Ciel said cynically. Sebastian darkly chuckled; his pet just wasn't going to give up, was he?

"I would love nothing more than to devour you at this very moment, my pet. Believe me, you have no idea how long I have hungered for the likes of a soul like yours. However," Sebastian paused. "It's no fun to prey on the soul whose owner doesn't even remember the conditions that brought it to such a state. Also, it is not completely prepared yet…There is a flickering light in the deepest depths of your soul. An annoying innocence that must be smothered. Only then…" Sebastian turned the smaller male and harshly gripped his chin. Ciel clenched his jaw as the demon jerked his head up so he was once again reflected in his crimson depths. He looked up defiantly at the ethereal being as said being coolly looked back.

"…can I truly have you. And I intend to do just that as you serve under me," Sebastian said in an eerily pleased voice. Ciel growled and yanked himself out of the much older male's grip. He made no comment to Sebastian's silent promise as he moved around his taller frame. A strong grip on his shoulder stopped Ciel's soundless retreat. The young teen felt a sudden weariness as he slowly turned to face the demon.

"What is it you want from me?" he asked tiredly. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at his pet's lack of zeal.

"For starters, I would love for you to learn how to tie a tie correctly," Sebastian teased. Ciel glared at the master of the manor. Wordlessly, he leaned down and began to fix Ciel's excuse for a tied tie.

Ciel couldn't stop the small squeak that escaped from his lips as he was roughly pulled into an embrace. Sebastian's smell assaulted his nose. Despite the true nature of his master, his smell was oddly comforting, homely almost. Ciel squeezed his eyes shut and waited for another round of sexual assault from the perverted demon. That's why he gasped in shock as Sebastian placed a soft kiss onto the top of his head. The feel of his cool lips on his hair caused Ciel to shiver involuntarily. For some odd reason, it almost felt good. Sebastian's lips rested on Ciel's crown for a moment before he slowly pulled away.

The confusion etched on the younger's face was enough to cause Sebastian to smirk with an open mouth.

"Don't be confused. My other want will be made clear in time…besides wanting to darken and consume your soul of course," Sebastian said. Ciel blinked. A strange feeling fluttered in his chest as he continued to allow himself to be loosely held in the demon's hold. Realizing his current position, Ciel quickly wrenched himself from his master's grip. With a haughty look, Ciel silently turned on his heel and marched towards the door. He slammed the door and rested gently against the frame. He was really starting to hate his encounters with the demon. He always left unsettled or angry.

"How did it go?!" an excited voice called. Poor Ciel jumped and nearly suffered a heart attack as he turned to see three excited faces. Bard, Finny, and Maylene gazed expectantly at the startled butler. An awkward silence settled over the foursome before Ciel coughed into his closed fist.

"Um, I won the challenge. I'm an official servant of the Michaelis manor," Ciel relayed. His next words were caught in his throat as all three of his fellow servants pulled him into a choking embrace. He could feel wetness on his shoulder and realized that one of them was crying. When he was finally released, Bard stared at him quizzically.

"For someone who completed a task that no one has been able to fulfill, you don't seem too happy," he commented. Finny nodded as happy tears continued to spill from his eyes. Maylene adjusted her glasses as she scrutinized the newest addition to the household.

"You seem troubled Ciel," she added. Ciel blinked and sighed.

"Well, there is one thing that's bothering me…" he began hesitantly. He silently looked at each of Sebastian's servants and felt a slight warmth settle on his cheeks. The confusion on Finny, Bard, and Maylene's faces would've been comical if not for the content of the question Ciel was about to ask.

"Um, did any of you have to have a…mouth inspection before you were officially part of the Michaelis manor?" he asked awkwardly.

Judging by Maylene's current position (sprawled on the floor with blood steadily draining from her nose), Finny's honestly confused expression, and Bard's failed attempt to hide his laughter…

Ciel assumed that was a no.

_Bastard._

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_**J-C: Wow...that was REALLY long!!!!!**

**Naruto: *fainted about halfway through from the sheer amount of words***

**~Sasuke~ *still on the 25th page***

**J-C: Well, since those two appear to be busy, I guess I will be closing this chappie by myself!!! I would like to thank you for taking time out of your night (or day) to read my story. I really hope I didn't disappoint anyone with the content of this chapter. I'm sorry that I had to include a ton of flashbacks ^-^', but I felt it was better to get the majority of the minor character backgrounds out of the way now rather than later. The true plot of One Hell of a Master will finally kickstart in the next chapter! Consider the first 4 chapters like one looooooooong prequel. The real action and stuff will definitely begin in the sixth chapter (yes, the sixth! Lolz, I like writing long, drawn-out plots). I hope you enjoyed your reading experience and I hope you leave a review to tell me what you think of the story so far (For my anonymous reviewers from the last chapter, I hope you don't mind if I respond at the bottom of this AN. If you don't want me to, just let me know if you choose to review again). Boring? Exciting? Hilarious? Although I would love to be able to read minds, I can't tell what you are thinking unless you leave a review. However, I guess faving or alerting this story also shows interest... ^-^' It doesn't matter to me, I'm just glad I have readers and reviewers! Welp, I will be signing off considering that I have tons more homework to complete before Monday...sigh...so I guess I will see you in a PM (depending on whether or not you leave a review) or in the next chapter of One Hell of a Master!**

**J-C: Good night and Ja ne!!! ^0^**

**P.S. I would like to apologize for misinformation in the previous chapter of One Hell of a Master. I told people that the 2nd season of Kuroshitsuji would be airing on January 31st. Clearly, that is incorrect. The event taking place on January 31st was merely an announcement about Kuroshitsuji II. The new season of Kuroshitsuji will air in July, and will feature a new master and butler (Names: Alois=master, Claude=butler)! I was upset at first after hearing about this change, but after seeing the trailer, I find that I'm quite excited!!! Of course, Sebastian and Ciel will always hold a place in my heart... *kunai hits the wall directly above my head* just like Naruto and Sasuke! ^-^' If you want to see the trailer, the link will be available on my profile page. Tell me what you think (like it, hate it?), I don't mind talking with my readers about things besides my stories! ^0^**

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Nyoro: **Thankies so much!!! ^0^ I'm really glad that you like the switcharoo with Sebastian and Ciel. It pleases me to hear that you're so excited about the 1st chapter of my story! I hope you continue to enjoy the rest of the fanfic as much as the beginning chapter! Thanks again for your shweet review! ^-^**

kat716: **Awww!!! I'm glad that I could cause you to feel that way!!! ^-^ Kuroshitsuji wouldn't be Kuroshitsuji without Bard, Finny, Maylene, and Tanaka. They just make it so hilarious! ^0^ I'm glad that I could catch your eye, and hopefully I don't disappoint again by taking months to update...sorry! Your wait is over now though! Lolz, and where would Kuroshitsuji be without Undertaker? ~-^ Thanks again for your awesome review!!! ^0^**


	5. The Order

**J-C: *pats self on back* Boys, I've accomplished something amazing!**

**~Sasuke~ And that would be?...**

**J-C: I ACTUALLY KEPT MY PROMISE!**

******Naruto: *glomps J-C* That's awesome J-C!**

**~Sasuke~ *growls and pulls Naruto off J-C* And astounding...**

**J-C: I know right...although I'm slightly insulted by the astounded comment...but whatever! It feels really good to keep a promise! Maybe I'm turning over a new leaf guys! *eyes shine hopefully***

******Naruto: Yeah...I don't think so...**

**~Sasuke~ *shakes head***

**J-C: *shrugs shoulders* Whatever... Anyhoo, I'm happy to say that since I'm on summer vacation, my readers can expect updates either every week or every 2 weeks! It depends on my mood now, but since I'm only doing things I like and relaxing, I'll be in a good mood the majority of the time! ;D**

**~Sasuke~ *rolls eyes* We'll see J-C...**

**J-C: *sticks out tongue* ANYWAY, I just wanted to take the time to thank all of my readers who have stuck with me and my new ones as well! All the favoriting, alerting, and reviewing is really mind-blowing to me! It makes me really happy to see so many people like this story (I actually had to wait to continue to reply to reviews because I went over the message limit, lolz)! For my anonymous reviewers (I had a lot this time), I hope you guys don't mind if I respond to your kind reviews at the bottom of this chapter. If you don't likey, just tell me if you choose to review again, and I won't do it anymore.**

******Naruto: J-C, are you forgetting you still have another story to update? You better hurry up and introduce this one already!**

**J-C: Okay...geez, chill! Before Naruto goes into Kyuubi mode, let's say hello to our Disclaimer and Warnings!**

******Disclaimer: Since I will probably be busy continuously updating fanfictions and hurriedly finishing all the amvs I have saved on my computer, I will most likely have NO time whatsoever to travel to Japan and steal Kuroshitsuji from Yana Tobosa...so nope, I do not own Kuroshitsuji!**

******Warnings: Along with my possible turning over of a new leaf, there is less violence than usual (although there are some violent thoughts), worse language, more BOY X BOY love, and even more sexual situations/themes! (Awesome right? Gosh, I'm turning into more of a perv as time passes by...)**

**J-C: Also, to prevent confusion: (XXX) are scene/time changes, emphasized words look either like this (School's out!) or like this (_Summer vacation...finally!_), thoughts look like this (**_No more school!_**), and regular dialogue looks like this (**Beach anyone?**).**

**~Sasuke~ J-C...Naruto's starting to transform...**

******Naruto: *growls***

**J-C: OKAY! Without further ado, I present the 5th chapter of One Hell of a Master! ENJOY! ^0^**

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**Chapter 5: The Order**

Oh…if looks could kill.

A drenched Phantomhive shivered from the cold and gave the look of death to the cause of his current state of wetness.

An innocently smiling man loosely held a metal bucket, which still had a few drops of ice-cold water dripping out from the opening. If it wasn't for the fact that the beaming man was (and always would be) Ciel's master, the dripping and shivering mass of a child would have already committed a murder with absolutely no regrets. The fact that his master was also a demon didn't help matters any.

But just because he couldn't physically kill Sebastian didn't mean that he couldn't fantasize about it. The image of the male's perfect face contorted in pain as he burned in a pit of fire was just enough to sate Ciel's killer intent…for now.

"W-W-What the h-h-hell d-d-d-do yo-o-o-you think you're d-d-d-do-do-doing?" Ciel shiver-shouted. The young butler furiously shook his head as the demon tipped and shook the bucket over Ciel's head to rid it of its freezing and completely unwanted contents.

"Ah, I have finally awakened my pet…" Sebastian remarked nonchalantly.

The image of Sebastian burning in a fiery pit was instantly replaced with the demon's body being mercilessly trampled by a psychotically smiling Ciel on a larger than average stallion.

The sopping wet boy wrapped his arms around himself in a futile attempt to generate heat. His mismatched eyes scanned the darkened room for a clock to check the time. A particularly violent shiver wracked his small frame as he snapped his head towards Sebastian's direction.

"W-What t-t-t-t-t-t-time is it?" he hissed angrily. The immortal being's charming smile never left his face as he gently placed the now empty pail on the floor.

"It's time for school of course," Sebastian replied matter-of-factly.

The image of Sebastian attached to a life-sized dartboard with Ciel madly clutching several sharpened knives and darts assaulted his mental senses.

_If only dreams could come true…_

Ciel could only blink dumbly at his demon master. The boy glanced between the full and bright moon outside of his window and Sebastian's face for a moment.

_Although he is a demon, surely he knows that no one goes to school in the middle of the night? Even I know that, and I didn't even know my own name!_

Ciel inhaled deeply and shivered as an icy wave raced down his spine.

"M-Master," he began slowly. "No child a-a-attends school…IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREAKIN' NIGHT!" Ciel hollered. A vein popped out on Ciel's forehead out of sheer irritation at Sebastian's blank face. Suddenly, the demon placed a gloved index finger over his lips.

"Hush my pet; you must keep your voice down. The other servants are trying to sleep," he scolded gently. Ciel growled lowly and was prepared to respond with a biting remark when a sudden tingling in his nose stopped him short. He cutely scrunched up his face as the sodden child released a flurry of sneezes. Droplets of water flew off of the tips of Ciel's dampened hair as the force of his sneezes jerked his body back and forth. Sebastian observed speechlessly as Ciel sniffed daintily at the end of his sneezing frenzy. The shivering butler wiped the area under his nose as he sniffled a few more times. Sebastian raised a perfectly-shaped eyebrow.

"I hope my pet isn't getting sick…"

"AND EXACTLY WHO'S FAULT WOULD THAT BE?" Ciel shouted as he whipped his face to his oh-so-perfect-master. The dark-haired boy's eyes narrowed dangerously as Sebastian placed his index finger over Ciel's own lips. The temptation to bite the tip of the gloved digit was overwhelming; one good nip and Sebastian would be yelping in pain and thinking twice about touching the younger male again.

Sebastian sighed tiredly. "This is exactly the reason why I am sending you to school. Well, I guess you cannot truly call it "school". It's more like private tutoring…" Sebastian explained. Ciel's facial expression never changed as the demon got down on one knee to become level with him. His master leaned slightly forward and out of reflex, Ciel edged away. Sebastian smirked before removing his finger from the boy's lips and replacing it with his lips. The young butler's eyes nearly popped out of his head at the motion. He yelped and jumped away from the much older male as if he had been burned. Sebastian watched with slight amusement as Ciel toppled over the side of the bed.

"Perhaps I should replace my previous method with this one…" he said slyly. An indignant squawk could be heard from the floor before a damp and blushing face appeared over the side.

"Absolutely not! And I'm **not** going to school or whatever you want to call it. **I'm** going to bed," Ciel declared as he hastily clambered onto the top of his messed up sleeping area. With a 'humph' and slight whip of his wet head, Ciel violently pulled the bed sheets over his soaking form.

Sebastian sighed and shook his head sadly. _Why must my pet be so difficult to train? Perhaps I did not think through my decision to save him as carefully as I should have…_

"Honestly, must you act like such a child? You should be honored that I have taken the time to find you a teacher," Sebastian commented disapprovingly. Ciel mentally rolled his eyes at the demon's rebuttal and only snuggled deeper into his self-made sheet cocoon.

"The gesture is much appreciated…master…" Ciel paused to yawn, "But perhaps it would've been more appropriate to have my teacher tutor me during the daytime?" Ciel questioned. The wet and, sadly, awake child rolled over to face his kneeling master. A momentary silence settled over the two before Sebastian reached into the pocket of his suit jacket. The sound of the music-playing watch caused the younger of the two to slightly relax. The demon glanced up from the relic at his youngest servant. He could only be described as alluringly cute.

Ciel's mismatched eyes were half-way closed, and the normal one sported a dream-like look. His lips were slightly parted as he languidly breathed. The light from the full moon illuminated his butler's pale skin, giving him a holy glow. One small hand was fisted in the sheets in front of his face, and Ciel's dampened hair was arrayed in a helter-skelter fashion. The collar of his nightshirt was completely open, and one side revealed a perfectly molded shoulder-blade. A tiny smile was present on the boy's face. To Sebastian, it looked as if Ciel had just awakened from mind-blowing sex. The mere thought caused Sebastian's crimson eyes to take on a faint glow. Ciel lazily observed the change in his master's eyes, sleep beginning to overtake his senses.

"…For your teacher's sake, now is the most appropriate time for your tutoring sessions to take place," Sebastian began slowly. Interest piqued, Ciel shifted with a soft groan into a sitting position.

"Who exactly is my teacher?" Ciel asked as he rubbed his eye to rid it of sleep. Sebastian inwardly sighed with relief; his butler was actually being reasonable for a change. The demon snapped his fingers, and Ciel squinted his eyes as the glare from a three-tier candle holder appeared in the doorway. A feeling of alarm fluttered in the child's chest at the appearance of the person holding the source of light. An elderly man dressed in attire similar to Ciel's own softly smiled at the fully awake duo. Ciel observed the wrinkled man's smiling face; his gray hair was slicked back, and his small moustache was meticulously groomed. His entire appearance was nearly as flawless as Sebastian's own. Despite his age, the old man stood as straight and proud as a soldier. The stranger exuded a non-threatening aura; Ciel visibly relaxed.

"I'm sure you are acquainted with the head butler of my estate, Tanaka," Sebastian relayed politely. Ciel blinked. The name seemed familiar; he swore he had heard it once before. His young face scrunched in concentration before a light bulb went off in his mind.

"Eh? Is this the guy that was uselessly sitting in the corner of your study?" Ciel suddenly blurted out. He instantly flushed and opened his mouth to apologize, but a raised hand cut him off.

"It is quite alright Ciel. I am quite aware of my…odd behavior during the day," Tanaka said warmly. The younger butler looked in Sebastian's general direction.

"Tanaka has a rare medical disorder, called '', or for short, 'Daytime Idiot Syndrome'. It renders him completely useless to me during the daylight hours; however, at nighttime he regains his full mental and physical capabilities. Tanaka's present condition is one of the main reasons I took you on as my butler," Sebastian explained. "The way I planned this is for you to work for me during the day, and at night, you will be instructed by Tanaka on the behaviors and skills that a butler must possess, as well as basic knowledge of a variety of scholarly subjects, such as the literary arts and arithmetic," Sebastian continued. Ciel could only stare blankly at the two men before locking eyes with his master.

"That all sounds fine and dandy, but there's just one problem," Ciel stated in a monotone voice. Sebastian looked expressionlessly at the dark-haired child, and Ciel took a calming breath.

"When exactly am I supposed to sleep?" he asked tensely.

"Do not fret my pet. I planned it into your schedule for you to sleep for four hours every night," Sebastian replied. Ciel could only stare.

_Four hours of sleep…if there are 12 hours in a day, and 12 hours at night, then that equates to 20 hours of being awake. Taking away 12 daytime hours from the overall 20 leaves eight hours…but wait a moment._

"It's only dark from 8 pm to…5:30 am," Ciel pointed out. Sebastian nodded.

"You are indeed correct. Tanaka will tutor you from 10 o'clock pm to midnight," Sebastian said. The youngest male in the room glanced at his soon-to-be tutor.

"What exactly am I going to be doing from the hours of 8 pm to 10 pm and from midnight to…?" Ciel paused as he mentally calculated, "…2 am?" he finished. Sebastian smirked, and the young butler mentally groaned.

"From 8 o'clock in the evening to 10 o'clock, you will continue to perform your duties as a loyal servant to the Michaelis household," the demon began slowly. Ciel quirked his eyebrows as the dark-haired male shifted closer to him. The young child flinched when the left side of his face was cupped by a gloved hand. Sebastian leaned so that his lips were in line with the shell of Ciel's ear.

"Then, from midnight to 2 in the morning, you will be serving only me as my faithful…pet," Sebastian breathed. Ciel scowled before a haughty sneer adorned his young face.

"I think I would rather enjoy six hours of rest than spend two hours with you," he whispered hatefully. Sebastian removed his hand from Ciel's boyish face with a resigned sigh and moved from his position on the floor. He brushed the knees of his pants before turning away from his rebellious butler. Tanaka merely stood silently with a knowing smile on his ancient face as he watched the scene play out in front of him. It was refreshing to see someone actually resist his demon master's charms. Usually, she (and sometimes he) would instantly give into Sebastian's demands without a second thought.

Sebastian walked past Tanaka and began to make his way down the dark hallway. The immortal paused and turned to his mortal servant. The two males exchanged a wordless glance; Tanaka placed a hand over his heart and bowed. Sebastian expressionlessly looked at the elderly man before turning to continue on his way.

Tanaka warmly smiled at his master's retreating back. A particularly loud sneeze alerted the head butler's attention. The gray-haired man turned to appraise his successor. Ciel was sitting with his legs folded Indian-style with a highly irritated expression adorning his features. The young servant had his arms folded in front of his chest, and Tanaka resisted the urge to chuckle as Ciel wiggled his nose to prevent another sneeze from occurring.

"I swear I'm going to kill that demon if it's the last thing I do…" Ciel grumbled angrily. Tanaka's smile never wavered as he walked toward his younger counterpart.

"As a servant of the Michaelis manor, you really must refrain from speaking ill of the master. What would you do if Master Michaelis were to walk in at this very moment to hear you speaking of him in such a disrespectful way?" Tanaka chastised gently. Ciel snorted before flopping onto his back. A flash of disapproval crossed over the attentive butler's face.

"It appears as if I have much to teach you about the **proper** behavior of a butler," Tanaka commented. Ciel slowly sat up as the senior butler gently placed the candle holder on the bedside table. The dark-haired child stared at the man for a moment.

"You're not seriously going to do what Sebastian said are you?" Ciel asked with a hint of disbelief. Tanaka turned to face him.

"Master Michaelis, Ciel. As a butler, when one talks of his master, one most always refer to him as master, Master, Lord or Earl Michaelis, or simply, my lord. You must never call him by such familiar or otherwise disrespectful terms unless he approves it," Tanaka explained calmly. "And yes, I do plan to instruct you academically and in the ways of the butler," he said with a smile. Ciel blinked, taken aback.

"Why? Seba-I mean, Master Michaelis, didn't order you to," Ciel commented. Tanaka softly looked at the younger child.

"Indeed. But as the loyal butler to the Michaelis household, I intend to fulfill my master's wishes to the best of my ability. Whether he orders me to or not; my only job is to ensure that Master Michaelis is well taken care of and pleased at all times," Tanaka replied warmly. Ciel looked at the older male speechlessly before carelessly running a hand through his damp hair.

"Now, our first duty for the evening is to change those bed sheets. So today's lesson in the duties of a butler is how to properly change bed sheets and wash linens," Tanaka relayed. Ciel sighed boredly before gracefully moving from his perch on the soaked sheets. Ciel shivered as his movement caused a trickle of icy water to run down his back. Tanaka placed a hand over his mouth in an attempt to politely hide his laughter. Ciel fixed the old man with a daring glare, and a serious expression instantly formed on Tanaka's face.

The two butlers faced each other silently for a few moments. Ciel began to shift out of annoyance.

"What exactly are you waiting for?" he asked in an irritated tone. His eyes, or rather his normal eye, had finally adjusted to the darkness of the room. He looked at the time on the clock and breathed a sigh of mixed relief and frustration.

_Thank God. It's 12:30 am. I won't have to spend any time with that demon. I better make the best of my time with Tanaka. Perhaps I can learn more about my…employer. He might be able to tell me Sebastian's weaknesses._

"It's important for a butler to be dressed for his duties," Tanaka finally responded. Ciel felt warmth settle on his cheeks. He quickly turned away from the older servant to hide his embarrassed flush. He purposefully made his way over to his desk where his folded clothes rested. With a snap, Ciel unfolded the hemmed dress shirt in a hasty attempt to rid it of any offending wrinkles. He draped the shirt over one arm and quickly gathered up his other pieces of clothing. Tanaka raised an eyebrow.

"Where are you rushing off to Ciel?" he asked curiously. Ciel paused and looked at Tanaka with slight shock.

"To the bathroom of course. You don't think I'm going to change in front of you, do you?" Ciel asked. The silver-haired man shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. The young boy turned away from his mentor and walked into the bathroom. Going by a sense of feel, Ciel felt his way into his clothes. He shrugged himself into his black suit jacket and pulled at the front to adjust it. Feeling down the front, Ciel carefully buttoned the jacket. Balancing on one foot, Sebastian's pet put one leg through the shortened pants, then the other. Doing a little hop routine, the youth pulled the pants up to his slim waist. He zipped the zipper and buttoned the button at the top of the trousers.

Ciel glared hatefully at the tie he held in his hand. No matter how hard he tried, he could never tie the piece of fabric correctly. He shuddered as he recounted the outcomes of his failed attempts at wearing the thing. He placed the tie back on the towel rack and slipped the gloves on his hands. He moved his fingers inside the material, trying to get used to the feel.

_How can that guy wear gloves all the time? Heh, must be some weird demon fetish…_

Ciel almost walked out of the room, but paused. He brought his covered hands to his hair and quickly patted down some rebellious strands. He shook his head to rid his hair of any excess water before quickly finger-combing through it. Finally, Ciel bent down and felt around on the floor for his shoes. Despite how uncomfortable and noisy they were, he preferred them to walking around barefoot; however, Ciel soon realized that tie-tying wasn't his only difficulty. He clenched his teeth as his index finger got tangled in another knot. With a frustrated huff, Ciel wiggled his finger out of the strings. He glared hatefully at the shoes, blaming the shoe strings for everything that was going wrong in his life before getting back on his feet and marching out of the bathroom.

Tanaka still stood in the spot Ciel had left him. He looked over his apprentice's appearance; minus the missing tie and the untied shoes, Tanaka commended the boy on being able to dress himself respectfully.

"Does Ciel need help with a few things?" Tanaka asked good-naturedly. For some reason, that struck a chord deep within Ciel.

"Absolutely not," he responded coldly. Tanaka blinked in surprise at Ciel's change in tone, before adjusting his glasses.

"My apologies. Well then, since you are properly dressed, we can begin our task," Tanaka continued. Ciel carefully hid his surprise at the older butler's lack of emotion. He would've expected some sort of rebuttal for his rude behavior. Ciel shrugged it off as being a part of a butler's personality. He merely nodded and made his way over to the soaked bed.

**XXX**

Tanaka sighed and stopped walking for the fifth time.

"Really now Ciel? How are you going to be able to handle the other duties of a butler if you can't even carry those bed sheets on your own?" Tanaka asked. An irritated sigh could be heard from behind the large and sopping wet mass of sheets and blankets currently held in Ciel's outstretched hands. Tanaka clicked his teeth with slight disappointment at the sight of the younger servant's shaking legs.

_This child has no strength whatsoever. This could result in unnecessary complications for the master…_

"This is much harder than it looks okay?" Ciel retorted through clenched teeth. It seemed as if the water Sebastian had poured all over him and the sheets was not normal water. The blankets felt like they weighed a ton each! The fact that Ciel couldn't see over the balled up sheets wasn't helping matters any. With every step, he silently prayed that it wasn't a stair-step or there wasn't something that could cause him to trip. So far, Ciel's prayers had been answered.

The young child blew a strand of hair out of his normal eye as he heard Tanaka's receding footsteps. Although the older male looked to be sweet and kind, he was currently showing Ciel no mercy. He cautiously put his right foot forward and paused. He could feel the untied shoestrings on his right shoe underneath the heel of his left foot. Ciel shifted his weight and proceeded with his left foot.

_Whew! That was a close one… I hope we arrive at the washroom soon… I have some serious questions for Tanaka. Of course, I'm going to have to be creative with my approach so I don't arouse suspicion…_

Ciel shakily walked down the corridor and relied entirely on his sense of hearing to follow Tanaka. After what seemed like an eternity, the pair of butlers arrived at Ciel's salvation. With a relieved and pained sigh, Ciel plopped the pile of sheets onto the floor.

A greatly puzzled expression formed on the dark-haired boy's face. Tanaka remained silent as Ciel appraised the item in front of him. When his mind came up blank, he finally turned to the senior.

"What exactly…is that?" Ciel questioned. Tanaka turned to Ciel with a friendly smile on his face.

"That…would be a scullery," Tanaka replied evenly. When Ciel's face remained lost, Tanaka continued.

"Do you see that in the middle of the scullery?" Tanaka pointed out. Ciel nodded as he leaned forward to see exactly what the older butler was talking about. "That is called a copper. It's made of metal, and this is where we, well, mainly you now, will wash Master Michaelis's clothing," Tanaka explained. Ciel blinked and looked up at him.

"Only Master Michaelis's?" he inquired. Tanaka nodded once.

"Correct. The servant's clothing and any overnight guests' clothing will be taken care of by Maylene. But don't think that you're getting off scot-free. It's important you learn how to properly wash clothing and such so the master's clothing will be perfectly taken care of," Tanaka warned. Ciel mentally rolled his eyes.

_I know butlers are supposedly devoted to their masters but this is ridiculous! Why must __**everything**__ be perfect? It's not like he's God or anything…he's actually the exact opposite…if anything, his clothes should be regarded with disdain and be destroyed!_

"Alright then…so how exactly does this scullery and copper thing work?" Ciel asked. Tanaka softly smiled and pointed his gloved finger at the pile of wet sheets.

"In order to clean those sheets, we must first fill the copper with water. Afterwards, we will add some soap powder," Tanaka instructed. Ciel sighed.

_Great…__**more**__ heavy lifting…I have to find a way out of this contract and quickly…before I'm forced into a life of servitude!_

Suddenly, Tanaka shoved a metal bucket in Ciel's face. "Please fill this bucket three times. You can get the water from the pump out back or from the kitchen. Your choice," Tanaka stated. Ciel grumpily took the bucket and walked out of the washroom. Since it was dark outside, Ciel decided to retrieve the water from the kitchen.

After three back-breaking trips from the kitchen to the washroom, the copper was filled about three-fourths of the way. Ciel wiped his forehead with the back of his glove and ignored Tanaka's small, "ho ho ho" of mirth. The next item placed directly in Ciel's face was a wooden stool. He looked at the furniture with slight confusion for a second; then, a light bulb went off in his head. With a scowl, Ciel snatched the stool from the older butler's hand and made his way over to the shelf where the box of soap powder was located. Even with the aid of the stool, Ciel could barely reach the box. He jumped down from the stool and held out the box to Tanaka. The butler smiled gently and gestured to the sheets.

Ciel grunted as he lifted up the heavier-than-average blankets. He waddled over to scullery and ungracefully dumped the sheets in the water. With a surprised yelp, Ciel jumped back as the front of his outfit was splashed with cold water. Tanaka coughed into his hand to hide his chuckles. Ciel clenched his jaw and mentally counted to ten. So far, the young butler preferred cooking to washing clothes.

_I pity you Maylene…I really do…_

Tanaka gently handed the box of soap powder to the shorter male. Ciel moved over to the scullery and daintily poured the powder into the water. When Tanaka coughed, Ciel stopped pouring and handed the box back to the servant. The gray-haired man motioned for Ciel to follow him, and Ciel did so grudgingly. To be honest, he was already fatigued from carrying the blankets, three full pails of water, and walking through several hallways of the Michaelis manor. He wanted nothing more than to retire to his bed and sleep the rest of the night away. Tanaka opened a closet and rummaged through several items before pulling out a large wooden and metal tool. He turned to face the tuckered out servant with each tool in one hand. Ciel warily looked between Tanaka's hands.

"This wooden tool is called a dolly. This is used to turn the clothes you're washing. This metal one is a plunger of sorts and is used to push the clothes up and down," Tanaka tilted the metal plunger so Ciel could see the holes throughout the plunger, "You can use either one to begin washing those sheets; however, you will eventually use both in order to thoroughly wash them," Tanaka said. Ciel paled.

_More manual labor? Sebastian, take my soul now! Hell has to be 10x better than this!_

With a resigned sigh, the dark-haired boy grasped the dolly and trudged over to the scullery. He plunged the wooden tool into the water and began to stir. Ciel soon discovered that was easier said than done. The first time he attempted to stir the sheets, the only thing that moved was the water near the surface. The second time, with the addition of a little more force, Ciel was able to turn the sheets a quarter of a full circle. Ciel glared at the unmoving fabric. Tanaka wordlessly observed Ciel's struggles with turning the sheets. To him, the newest addition to the Michaelis household was looking to be completely useless.

The young Phantomhive hissed and grunted as he slowly stirred the sheets. He could feel the sweat beginning to develop on his brow, and he quietly swore under his breath. Out of irritation, he turned towards Tanaka.

"Aren't you going to help?" he asked. Tanaka blinked before a small smile formed on his lips.

"Not at all. As my successor, you must learn how to complete these tasks on your own. I won't be serving Master Michaelis for much longer anyway," he finished sadly. Ciel blinked and absent-mindedly began stirring the sheets. An awkward tension developed between the two.

"That must mean you're pretty old then," Ciel commented distractedly. Realizing the words that left his mouth, Ciel quickly turned to apologize but was cut off by Tanaka's humored chuckles.

"Ho ho ho. That's quite alright Ciel; you're only speaking the truth. Telling the truth is a valued trait in a servant, particularly a butler. A butler is the sole servant that can gain a master's full trust. The only way to accomplish such a feat is through being honest. It is truly an honor when a master places his full trust in a butler," Tanaka explained. Ciel turned away from the elderly man and attempted to stir the sheets.

"Have you gained Master Michaelis's full trust, Tanaka?" Ciel inquired off-handedly. Without hesitation, Tanaka quickly replied.

"I am pleased to say I have indeed. Albeit, it did take an immense number of years for that to occur; I had to work very hard to prove myself worthy of the master's trust. It was all worth it in the end though…"

"How many years did it take?" Ciel pushed. He gritted his teeth as the sheets turned halfway.

"55 years," Tanaka answered. Ciel loudly swore as he dropped the dolly in the water. His whole body trembled as he dunked his arm in the freezing water in an attempt to grab for the wooden tool.

"Oh my, are you alright Ciel?" Tanaka asked worriedly. Ciel nodded once as his hand wrapped around the dolly. He pulled it out of the water and roughly shook his soaked arm to rid it of excess water.

"I-I'm okay," Ciel chattered. "I was just taken by surprise by how long it took you to gain Sebas-, I mean, Master Michaelis's trust," Ciel stated. Tanaka smiled softly. Ciel stabbed the dolly into the water in a childish attempt at revenge to the water and put all his strength into stirring the god-forsaken sheets.

"From your perspective, you could say that is a fairly long time. Considering most males from my time are not expected to live past 47 years…however, a butler is bound to his master for a lifetime, so to me, 55 years is not so long. As I said before, it was worth the length of time it took. Nothing pleases me more than to know that the master trusts me, and my attempts to please him were not in vain," Tanaka finished warmly.

Ciel mentally congratulated himself as the sheets began to turn in a steady circle. The butler's apprentice soon discovered that stirring involved more than moving the dolly in a circle. Occasionally, Ciel had to take out the dolly to prevent the sheets from wrapping around it. A pattern soon developed: stir (with as much effort as possible), pause, stir, remove dolly, pause, stick in dolly, and repeat.

Tanaka observed as Ciel finally got the hang of working the dolly. When the older man deemed the sheets stirred enough, he walked over to Ciel.

"The sheets have been turned enough," Tanaka said. Ciel nodded and handed the wet tool to the butler. The senior butler put up a hand to stop the motion.

"When you are done using the tools, you must place them in their appropriate place in the cupboard," Tanaka instructed. Ciel emotionlessly looked at the gray-haired man for a moment before silently following his instructions. Even though it didn't seem as if Ciel had been paying attention to Tanaka's earlier statements, he had been listening intently. He mulled over the older male's words and couldn't come up with any satisfactory explanation to Tanaka's behavior.

_I don't care if I have to serve that demon for a lifetime, 55 years to devote to just trying to gain his trust is ridiculous! How can a person receive pleasure from that? To me, it seems as if he wasted his whole life on something that is ultimately pointless…Tanaka is just too weird to me. Perhaps he's going senile?_

_However…_

Ciel turned to face Tanaka, only to have the metal plunger thrust in his face. Tanaka cocked his head to the side and placed his chin in his fist in a thinking gesture.

"I find that using this helps to relieve the stresses of doing the laundry," Tanaka commented. Ciel blinked before gently removing the plunger from the elder's hand. He walked back over to the scullery and stood looking at the murky and bubbly water.

"What exactly am I supposed to do with this?" Ciel asked. Tanaka moved his palms so they were facing the floor and made a pushing up and down motion.

"Ah, I see," Ciel acknowledged. He positioned the plunger over the copper and pushed it into the water. The force of the suction nearly caused Ciel to lose his balance. He grunted with effort as he attempted to pull the plunger back up.

Once again, easier said than done.

Ciel felt fresh sweat beads forming on his brow as he finally pulled the dripping plunger out of the water. Tanaka opened his mouth to offer a suggestion, but quickly shut it.

_It's best if he learns the technique himself._

For the second time in one night, Ciel exacted revenge on the water. As he pushed the plunger down and then back up, he watched as some water sloshed over the side and onto the floor. He couldn't help but think about how much effort and time it had taken to get the water into the scullery in the first place. Fuming, he repeated the motion. Ciel noticed that not only was water splashing out of the sides, but soap bubbles were stuck on the plunger instead of with the sheets in the water. Ciel gritted his teeth. It reminded him of the humiliation he felt at having to use a stool in order to reach the box for the soap bubbles in the first place. With more vehemence this time, Ciel pushed the plunger back down. This time, the over-worked child found that he couldn't pull the plunger back up. He peered into the water and felt his anger reach stressful levels. The sheets he had worked so hard to stir and separate were balled up around the plunger.

Tanaka watched with a knowing smile as Ciel began to violently push and pull the plunger up and down. His pace increased as his anger mounted at the wasted water and soap, physical exhaustion, his humiliation, and the difficulty of laundry in general.

_And the cause of all this trouble is none other than __**that demon**__._

In a burst of animalistic rage, Ciel released his anger and frustration in a repetitive up-and-down motion until his arms and back nearly gave out. Panting, Ciel pulled the plunger out one last time and allowed for the water to drip back into the copper.

Tanaka clapped his hands to catch Ciel's attention. Ciel turned to his teacher and smirked.

"It appears I got a little carried away…" he stated boredly. Tanaka looked down at the puddles of water and soap on the floor and nodded.

"It appears so. Well, that can be cleaned up later. Now, we must dry and hang the sheets," Tanaka said. Ciel openly groaned, and Tanaka ho ho ho'ed.

"I promise you Ciel, this is the easiest part of the task," Tanaka insisted. Ciel didn't look anymore convinced as he reached into the cold, and now dirty, water. He gathered up the sopping wet sheets. He shivered as the water soaked through his dress shirt. Water dripped from the ends of the sheets onto the floor as Ciel made his way over to the other side of the washroom.

Once again struck dumb, the young servant stared at the piece of equipment in front of him. At a loss, Ciel turned to his teacher.

"This is what will be used to dry clothing and any other of Master Michaelis's linens. It is called a mangle. Now, what you will do is place the edge of those sheets right between these two wooden rollers," Tanaka instructed. Ciel unwrapped one of the sheets from the pile and placed the rest on top of the scullery. He opened the one sheet and did his best to keep it from touching the floor; sadly, the bottom edge trailed on the floor due to Ciel's lack of height. He carefully placed the edge of the sheet between the two wooden rollers. Tanaka nodded and walked over to the right side of the mangle and pointed to the wooden handle.

"Now, grab onto this handle and slowly make a full circle with it. By doing so, the sheets will be pulled through the rollers and compressed at the same time. This will result in pressed and nearly dried sheets," Tanaka finished. Ciel nodded and took hold of the handle. He was pleased to find the handle turned fairly easy. He watched with slight fascination as one sheet passed through the rollers and came out the other end with hardly any water. The first sheet fell into a wooden basket Tanaka had been so kind as to place under the mangle to catch it. Ciel repeated this process for the other linens. He found that he preferred the process of drying clothing rather than washing them. When the last sheet ran through the mangle and fell into the basket, a thought hit Ciel.

"Tanaka, if the sheets were just wet when we first walked in here, why didn't we just run them through the mangle?" he asked. Tanaka paused for a moment before smiling at his student.

"Well, then you wouldn't have learned how to properly do laundry…but you do make a good point," he added as an afterthought. Ciel breathed in and out for a moment to prevent himself from doing something that could result in his winding up in jail. Tanaka clapped his hands again to catch Ciel's attention.

"Now then, the final step is to hang these sheets outside to dry thoroughly," Tanaka said cheerily. Ciel mentally groaned at the thought. Tanaka made a beckoning motion with his hand as he took the candle holder out of the room. Ciel sighed and bent down to retrieve the basket.

**XXX**

_Of all times, why does God choose now to make the weather windy?_

Ciel whipped his head to try and move his hair out of his face as he and the older butler made their way outside. The wind was blowing fiercely, and to add to Ciel's woes, it was a frigid wind.

"Ah, it seems as if winter is approaching…" Tanaka commented off-handedly. Ciel blinked and rolled his eyes.

_This guy must be pretty old…it's only April…_

A particularly hard gust of wind ended up blowing out Tanaka's candles, immersing the two males in darkness. Ciel sighed.

"Perhaps we should go inside Tanaka…it looks like it's going to rain. It would be a shame for the sheets to get wet again," Ciel suggested with a hint of hope. Ciel saw Tanaka's outline turn towards him and imagined the elderly man was smiling at him.

"I wouldn't worry about rain Ciel…it's not the rainy season anymore, so the linens should be fine," he said good-naturedly. Ciel trudged after his teacher as Tanaka walked farther away from the mansion. The two eventually came to where several lines were hanging. Ciel heard the clacking of something wooden.

"What's that sound?" he asked curiously. Tanaka blinked at the question.

_It appears as if his memory suffered more damage than previously thought…this is something important to tell the master…_

"That's the sound of wooden clips. They are used to hang wet things in order to be dried by the wind," Tanaka explained. Ciel slowly nodded and walked towards the sound.

"What you need to do is hang the top corners of the sheets between the teeth of each clip," Tanaka instructed. The apprentice bent down and grabbed one of the sheets from the basket. He grunted as he stood on his tip-toes to clip the ends of the sheet. The wind kept causing the sheet to whip Ciel's face. He turned his face to the side and blindly clipped the ends of the first sheet. He sighed with relief when the sheet was finally hung. He moved down the line and hung the rest of the sheets. He wiped his forehead with the back of his gloved hand when he finished the task.

Tanaka nodded his approval and placed a hand on the shorter male's shoulder. The younger butler noticeably stiffened at the gentle touch. Tanaka mentally took note of his reaction as he guided the young child back to the manor. When they finally arrived back inside, Tanaka pulled out a match and struck it. Ciel watched with fascination as the tip of the burning match was placed to the end of the candle. The candle wick instantly caught fire, and Tanaka repeated the motion for the other two candles before blowing out the match.

Ciel was about to ask how exactly he did that, but Tanaka began to speak.

"Now that we've finished the task of laundry, I am going to have you become familiar with all of the places Master Michaelis tends to be found. It is important for a butler to know where his master is at all times in order to be able to serve him in a timely and efficient manner," the older gentleman relayed. Ciel said nothing and followed the elderly man out of the room. They walked through several hallways before they reached the kitchen. Tanaka walked over to the left wall and held the candle holder up to illuminate the wall.

The child butler cocked his head to the side as he took in the sight of about eight bells hanging on a wooden board. Underneath each bell was a gold plague with writing on it. Ciel peered at the writing, and he read the words out loud.

"St-Study, B-B-Booore-Board Room, Dining Hall, P-Paaarrrrlor, oh, Parlor, Paaaateao…Patio, Reeeecepshun…Reception Hall, Liebraeree…Library, of course, and Master Bedroom," Ciel finished. He turned to the senior butler with a question in his eyes.

"What are all these bells for?" Tanaka moved to stand beside his student.

"These are so Master Michaelis can call for us. Since these are the most common places to find him, he and I decided it would be easier to communicate this way. Whenever one of these bells rings, it means that he wishes to speak with us, well, mainly you now. It is important to quickly attend to him whenever one of these bells rings. Master Michaelis doesn't like to wait…he considers it a waste of time. He **hates** wasting time," Tanaka finished seriously. A silence settled over the pair…before suddenly being broken by one of the bells ringing. Tanaka held the candle to the bell and illuminated the sign. Ciel growled as the bell continued to ring over the sign, 'Master Bedroom'. The gray-haired man turned to Ciel with a smile.

"Well, it seems as if Master Michaelis is requesting one of our services. I wonder which one he is calling for?" he questioned.

_Hopefully, you. If he's calling for me from __**there**__, it's definitely not for any good reason…_

**XXX**

Tanaka knocked gently on the door to Sebastian's room.

"Pardon the intrusion," he called out politely before entering. Ciel looked at him warily.

_If he's the one who called for you, obviously you aren't intruding on anything._

The boy blinked when Tanaka looked back at him. "It's important for a butler to be polite at all times," he said quietly. Catching on, Ciel frowned.

"Pardon the intrusion," he mumbled grumpily before entering after his teacher. The two butlers entered to find Sebastian fully dressed in clothing suited for outside wear. While Ciel was completely confused by his master's current state of dress, Tanaka took it all in stride.

"How long will the master be out?" he asked respectfully. Sebastian said nothing for a moment before turning to walk over to the window. Ciel's ears picked up the sound of a piece of paper rustling. Curiosity piqued, he leaned slightly to the sound to try and get a glimpse of what the demon held in his hand. A cough from Tanaka quickly had Ciel straightening out. The pale male turned to face his servants.

"No longer than two months," he responded tonelessly. Ciel blinked with surprise while Tanaka merely nodded.

_Where could he possibly be going for two months? A business trip perhaps?_

"Will you need anything specific with you Master Michaelis?" Tanaka questioned. Sebastian shook his head before turning to look out the window again.

"Prepare a coach for me Tanaka," he ordered.

"Now?" Ciel blurted out. Both Tanaka and Sebastian turned to look at him.

"Ah, what Ciel is trying to say my lord, is perhaps it would be better if you departed in the morning? That way the horses will be well-rested, and the stagecoach driver will have an easier time seeing," Tanaka quickly cut in. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at Tanaka's obvious cover for Ciel's rudeness. He smirked before turning to fully face the pair.

"Alright then; I am going to need to talk with my pet for a moment Tanaka," Sebastian said. Tanaka bowed.

"Understood," he said courteously before backing out of the room. Ciel looked back at him and opened his mouth to say something to stop him from leaving him alone with the immortal. Before a single word could slip past his lips, the door shut, immersing the two males in darkness.

A silence formed between the master and servant. Ciel shifted uncomfortably, wondering why exactly Sebastian needed to speak with him.

"Well? What did you want to speak with me for?" Ciel finally asked. He felt terribly uneasy being alone with the male. He had good reason to be, considering how things usually went down whenever they were alone together.

"I believe this room could use some light, don't you think?" Sebastian commented off-handedly. Ciel growled before wincing as several lights suddenly lit up. He blinked owlishly as his eyes adjusted from darkness to sudden light.

"Do you think you could've at least had the decency to warn someone before you suddenly turn on the lights?" Ciel grumbled as he rubbed his eyes. Sebastian smirked before taking a seat on his bed.

"I did warn you; I asked for your opinion on whether or not this room needed some light," Sebastian rebutted innocently. Ciel grimaced and breathed deeply.

"You wished to speak with me?" Ciel asked again. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at Ciel's sudden politeness.

"It seems as if Tanaka's teaching is already rubbing off on you," Sebastian said, once again completely ignoring Ciel's question. The younger boy narrowed his eyes at how the demon continued to change the topic. He sighed and placed his hands behind his back. He rocked back and forth on his heels and decided to look around Sebastian's room.

In all honesty, Ciel felt as if his own room was more decorated and homey than his master's. In fact, Sebastian's room was nearly a carbon copy of Ciel's own. The only difference was the demon's mirror had gold framing around it.

_It seems as if Sebastian has no attachment to anything of this world. There aren't any pictures of anyone or any scenery. No ornaments, no useless knick-knacks and trinkets…_

"You seem surprised by the looks of my quarters," Sebastian observed. Ciel blinked as he was jerked from his mental processes.

"Huh? Ah, it's just that I expected your room to be more…elegant," Ciel commented. Sebastian shrugged his shoulders and crossed his legs.

"I rarely come here…only to change my clothes and take my baths. It would be a waste of money and decoration to add anything to this room besides the necessities when I'm rarely present," Sebastian explained. A look of confusion flitted across the butler's face at his master's comment.

"Don't you come here every night?" he asked confusedly. Sebastian blinked, looking honestly surprised at the question.

"For what reason?" he inquired.

"To sleep of course!" Ciel immediately answered. Sebastian smirked and shook his head.

"I don't sleep," the demon said. Ciel opened his mouth and quickly shut it. He never thought demons were incapable of sleep…or at least they didn't require sleep. He thought that all living things needed rest.

_Unless…demons aren't alive…_

Sebastian ran a hand through his hair and leaned back on his hand. He was starting to become bored. He had called Ciel here to fulfill his purpose as a pet, but instead, the boy was stalling for time by asking questions about obvious things. A sudden thought popped into his mind.

_Perhaps he doesn't know what his job __**is**__ as a pet…if that is the case, then it is imperative for me to teach him so he is better prepared next time…_

"If you don't sleep at night, then what do you do?" Ciel asked. Sebastian smirked and uncrossed his legs as he leaned forward.

_It appears that he really __**doesn't**__ know what his purpose is…_

"Well, before you arrived, I would normally walk the corridors. Most of the time, I would work until Tanaka told me to retire to my bedroom. But now that you are here…" Sebastian stood up slowly as he spoke. Ciel tensed and looked warily at the now standing being.

He didn't even have time to gasp. Sebastian was now directly in front of him, causing Ciel's back to press into the door. His eyes widened as he breathed unsteadily.

_H-H-How did he…When did he? That's not even possible! How could he have moved from the bed to the door so quickly? I didn't even see him move…_

Sebastian smiled slyly as his eyes began to glow. He placed his hands on either side of the smaller body of his pet, caging him. Ciel looked up into Sebastian's shimmering eyes defiantly. The two continued to stare at each other, while Ciel did his best to hide his movements. His hand was slowly moving to the doorknob. If he got just a few inches closer, he would be free from the demon for the next two months. Sebastian moved one of his hands from the door and moved to pull his servant's tie. When he touched Ciel's clothed chest, minus the tie, his smile grew.

"It appears as if you already came to me partially undressed, Ciel," he whispered the boy's name in a way that caused said child to shiver.

"Just what the hell are you talking about-" Ciel sharply inhaled when Sebastian ran a finger down his chest. Ciel narrowed his eyes at the unnatural feel; a normal finger running down someone's chest wouldn't cause him/her to feel as if liquid fire were running down his/her chest instead.

"Remove your finger from me this instant," Ciel ordered harshly. Sebastian said nothing as his finger continued to move down to the first button of his butler's suit jacket. The only part of the dark-haired child that was moving now was his hand to the doorknob; the rest of his body was frozen in place. He watched as the demon slowly unbuttoned the buttons of his suit jacket. He gritted his teeth as his jacket was opened.

_I'm not sure what's going on exactly, but whatever it is, I certainly wish to take no part in it._

"Hey! Who do you think you are exactly? I told you to remove your finger, so do so immedi-"

"Now and forever, I am your master. Tonight, you are my pet," Sebastian answered huskily. The look in the demon's eyes caused Ciel's own mind to feel hazy. It was almost as if he were being put under a spell of some sort. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he cried out in horror as his body went lax. His moving hand dropped from the door handle as his body tipped back and forth, like a drunk. Sebastian smirked with an open mouth at his pet's sudden obedience. It really was something else to be the master of someone so disobedient. It gave Sebastian a great sense of power being able to control Ciel like this.

Sebastian removed his finger from the child's chest and used it to trace Ciel's bottom lip. Almost instantly, the boy slightly opened his mouth. The black-haired male nudged the digit into the boy's open cavern. He leaned down and blew in his ear before whispering.

"Suck Ciel," he ordered breathily. The feel of his breath and the unnatural feel of his finger in his mouth snapped Ciel out of his demon-induced trance. He shoved the man away from him and all but vomited his finger out of his mouth. He wiped his mouth hastily and glared at Sebastian.

"What the fuck was that? Do you know how unsanitary that is? I don't know where you're finger's been you sick pervert!" Ciel yelled out. Sebastian tilted his head to the side at his flustered pet's behavior. It surprised him slightly that the boy had been able to break from his…influence so quickly. It was a pleasant surprise though; an animalistic feeling of dominance rose in Sebastian's chest.

Ciel saw the change in Sebastian's eyes a tad too late. He whirled around to throw open the door, but a pair of stronger than average arms wrapped themselves around his midsection. Ciel cried out when his master bit a little harder than necessary on the shell of his ear.

"Ow! What the hell was that? Release me at once-ah! Hey! Where exactly are you putting your hand…mm! Let go and remove your hand from there-hah! Oooooh…nooooo…d-don't i-idiot! St-Stop it, ngh!" Ciel moaned out. Sebastian smirked at Ciel's changing tone. He removed his roaming hand from Ciel's right nipple and brought it up to stroke Ciel's trembling bottom lip. While his one finger stroked the boy's lip, the rest of his hand held the child's head securely. He slowly licked up the side of Ciel's neck, causing the dark-haired boy to shudder and gasp. Sebastian kissed the trail his tongue had left on the boy's soft skin and rested his lips on Ciel's ear.

"It is time for you to fulfill your duties to me, Ciel. I must warn you, I am not a very patient person," Sebastian warned before licking the shell of Ciel's sensitive ears. Ciel closed his eyes in embarrassment at the moan that slipped past his tightly closed lips. There was no way he was enjoying this! No way!

His mouth dropped open in surprise as Sebastian began sucking on the lobe of his ear. Lightning bolts of pleasure shot through Ciel's young body, causing him to writhe in the taller male's hold. Ciel began to breathe harshly as his face heated up.

"N-Noooo…hah, hah, no. Let me go-oh! Ah! Ummm, m-maaaster," Ciel whined as he struggled in the older male's hold. Sebastian smirked and blew his hot breath in Ciel's ear.

"I like when you call for me in that voice," Sebastian whispered lustfully. Ciel's eyes widened as one of his hands was brought back to the front of his master's trousers. The feel of something hard freaked him out. His struggles increased, causing Sebastian's smirk to widen.

_This one is going to fight till the bitter end, isn't he?_

Ciel finally managed to slip out of the demon's grip. He bolted for the door, only to end up colliding with Sebastian. He was knocked onto his butt by the force of the impact. He shook his head and glared hatefully at the man who had molested him seconds ago.

"Hah, I…hah, need to go, hah…right **now**," Ciel stated in a surprisingly steady voice. Sebastian raised an eyebrow before flashing the flustered child his most charming smile.

"Of course you can go…as soon as you finish your business with me," he added in before bending down and throwing Ciel over his shoulder. Ciel froze for a second in shock before he began kicking his feet and beating his fists on the immortal's back.

"Bastard! Let me go! I don't want this…stop it! Someone help me, ah!" Ciel cried out as he was thrown onto the bed. He began to crawl away from the stronger male, but he was instantly pinned. Nevertheless, he struggled underneath Sebastian's body. Sebastian grunted as he held down his younger servant.

_This one has more fight in him than I previously thought…_

Ciel managed to turn himself onto his back. He pushed and beat at Sebastian's chest, trying desperately to get out from under him.

"What part of no don't you understand?" Ciel hollered angrily. The demon easily caught the fist aimed at his perfect face, and he harshly brought it back down onto the mattress. Ciel continued to fight off the man as best as he could with one arm. He was able to get in a couple of good slaps before the being pinned that one down as well. Ciel breathed harshly from under Sebastian, who looked perfectly okay. The fact that the demon showed no physical strain whatsoever pissed Ciel off. He sharply turned his head to the side when Sebastian leaned down. Sebastian smiled before whispering in Ciel's ear.

"Have you forgotten your duty? You are to serve me every night from midnight to two am as only a pet can. A **sex** pet," Sebastian explained. Ciel's eyes widened at the sinful word. "Now, I was going to take things slower so your body could get used to pleasure, but an unexpected…trip has come up that I must attend to immediately; however, I have decided to not rush things with you. I think it will be more…enjoyable for both of us if I have more time to play with you," Sebastian finished. Ciel blinked and slowly turned his head to face the smirking demon. At the moment, Ciel's master looked to be like a predator.

…_and I'm his prey…_ Ciel thought.

Ciel hated this. He hated feeling vulnerable and weak. He wasn't sure why, but Sebastian's display of dominance only caused cold fury to race through his veins. His anger and hate towards his master reflected in his crystal blue eye.

"Release me at once bastard," Ciel ordered coldly. Sebastian chuckled at his pet's tone of voice.

"My, my. It appears as if someone's pride has been bruised. But you know, pride is just as sinful, if not worse, than lust…than **sex**," Sebastian, again, emphasized the hated word. Ciel narrowed his eyes and sneered.

"As if I would ever willingly have sex with you. You can beat me, drag me, drug me, intoxicate me, and do whatever tricks you feel are necessary to get me into your bed, but I will **never **submit to you. Go find yourself a prostitute you sick fuck," Ciel spat. Sebastian's smirk transformed into his trademark one as he cocked his head to the side.

"But Ciel, I thought you were my personal prostitute," he said coyly. Anger flared in Ciel's chest. Sebastian released his hands; Ciel bolted up and all but fled from the room. The child butler angrily slammed the door shut with all his might. At that point, he didn't care if he woke up the other inhabitants of the mansion. He stood outside Sebastian's door shaking with rage and humiliation at the ordeal he had just gone through. His knuckles were pure white as he gripped the knob. He brought a shaking hand up to his scarred eye and clenched his teeth. He stood that way for a moment before he slowly calmed down. A bitter smile spread on Ciel's young face as he released the doorknob.

"At least I won't have to see that bastard for two whole months. That gives me plenty of time to plot my revenge," Ciel said lowly. He straightened himself out and purposefully buttoned up his unbuttoned suit jacket and smoothed his wrinkled trousers. He rubbed his face, ears, and neck to try and rid them of the feel of Sebastian's lips and tongue. He shuddered at the thought before moving away from the door.

He walked calmly through the halls of the manor for about five minutes before he reached his room. He breathed a sigh of relief at the familiarity and safety his room brought him. He glanced tiredly at the clock.

_3:45 a.m.…heh. That bastard was technically breaking his own rules…_

Ciel stumbled over to his bed, and blinked in surprise at the sight of the clean sheets. A ghost of a smile developed on his tired face as he gratefully crawled under the covers. He didn't care if he still had his work clothes and shoes on…he was mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. The only refuge he had was sleep…

In less than two minutes, the young butler was out like a light.

**XXX**

A soft knock on the door broke Sebastian's train of thought.

"Enter," he called out. The door clicked open, and Tanaka appeared in the doorway, still holding the candle-holder. The elderly butler bowed before stepping fully into the room.

"Pardon the intrusion Master Michaelis. I have come to ready you for bed," Tanaka stated dutifully. Sebastian looked at him with no emotion present on his face or in his eyes before turning away with a sigh.

"Very well," he responded before sitting up on the bed and moving to the edge. Tanaka smiled gently at his master before placing the candle-holder on the desk. He moved over to Sebastian's wardrobe and retrieved his nightclothes. Sebastian stood up and spread out his arms. Tanaka placed the clothing on the bed before moving to the front of the slightly taller man. He reached out and skillfully unbuttoned the demon's overcoat. He removed the first piece of clothing from Sebastian's stiff body. He untied the demon's necktie. He repeated the process for his master's household coat and dress shirt. When his top half was completely naked, Tanaka grabbed for the nightshirt. As he was buttoning up the shirt, Tanaka softly smiled.

"Our new servant seems to be quite interesting, don't you think master?" Tanaka asked good-naturedly. Sebastian dropped his arms and sighed.

"That's for certain," he responded tiredly, causing Tanaka to chuckle with mirth. A comfortable silence developed between the two as Tanaka got down on one knee to remove Sebastian's shoes and pants.

"Although he lacks physical strength, which could prove to be a hindrance to you, he is quite intelligent. He quickly catches on to how to properly do things, even things that he does not remember or has never done before. I was a tad surprised by this considering the damage his memory has suffered. His reading skills are questionable, but he does have the ability to read. He seems to be stubborn, prideful, and strong-willed. Also, he does not like being touched," Tanaka reported. Sebastian nodded as he lifted his leg to allow for Tanaka to put one leg of his pants on him. He repeated the movement for the other. Tanaka slowly stood up as he pulled the pants all the way up. He moved to the bed to fold the clothes he had just taken off of the master of the house. As he gathered up the clothing in his arms, a thought formed in his mind.

"If you don't mind my saying, he slightly reminds me of you master. When you were younger of course," Tanaka said as he walked over to the wardrobe to hang up the clothing. Sebastian said nothing as he sat down on the bed. Another silence developed between the two. Tanaka, thinking it time for him to retire to his quarters, grabbed his holder and moved to the door.

"Tanaka, I have an order for you and the other servants," Sebastian called out. Tanaka paused and turned to fully face his master.

"Of course Master Michaelis. I, and the other servants, will gladly carry out whatever you desire," Tanaka said sincerely. Sebastian laid down on top of the covers of his bed and folded his arms over his chest. He stared up at the ceiling for a moment as a smirk developed on his handsome face.

"While I'm away, I order you to protect Ciel with all you have…and more," he ordered softly. Tanaka blinked, slightly taken aback by the unexpected order. A slow smile formed on his face, accenting all of his wrinkles. He placed one hand over his heart and bowed.

"Yes, my lord."

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**J-C: Whew! I'm glad that's finally done! I've been working on this one for almost a month!**

**~Sasuke~ Your effort is much appreciated...**

******Naruto: But it would be more appreciated if you updated Broken...NOW!**

**J-C: *sighs* Sasuke...**

**~Sasuke~ I got it... *grabs Naruto and drags to "private" corner***

**J-C: Now that Naruto's preoccupied, it's time for my characteristic begging for reviews! Lolz, not really, but reviews are much appreciated! They let me know what I need to improve, what you guys like, and how you guys feel about what you're reading. I'm a pretty flexible person; I'm willing to listen to ideas, and if possible, I might be able to incorporate them in the story! I appreciate all the support this story has gotten so far! One of my friends from school was looking at my page, and she said she was very impressed with the amount of reviews I have for this story. All I could do was smile! Thanks again for all the love you guys have shown for this ficcie so far! ^0^**

**Ja ne for now (hopefully I'll see you guys sooner than I normally do...Happy Summer everybody)! ^-^**

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Sebastian's autistic servant: **Hi Hi! Lolz, nothing much, just trying to fulfill my promises to my readers and update more often *nervous laugh*. You're a better cook than me! I can't even cook ramen...sad, isn't it? I'm glad you liked the "mouth inspection" (trust me, I had tons of fun writing it...heh heh). I'm honored that you've given my fic such a high number! *holds up own sign with poorly written number* I give this awesomely nice review a 100! Lolz, thanks again for your review! ^-^**

chu chu banato!: **Lolz, I like that word...jizz is funny, makes me lol every time I read it in this review! I'm glad I could induce such a reaction from you! Heh heh, you might need a fan or even a freezer because things are only gonna get hotter from here on out! Teehee, thanks for your compliment, and I hope I didn't make you wait too long for an update this time around...Thanks again, this review is hilarious to me because of the word jizz... ^-^**

Kuro Neko-chan: **First off, I LOVE YOUR NAME! It's really cute and funny to me! I'm sure Sebastian would like it to...*smirks* Anyway, I'm surprised you found humor in this chapter...I fail when it comes to telling jokes and purposely writing in humor...but nonetheless, I appreciate the comment! The "mouth inspection" seems to be quite popular with my readers...I might have to slip more of those in the future. ;D And I'm glad you're excited for the new Kuroshitsuji! I am too! I have a feeling the triplets are gonna be pretty koolio...and you're english is really good! I wouldn't have known it wasn't your first language if you didn't tell me. Trust me, you write English way better than some of my friends and classmates, lolz! Thank you lots and lots for reviewing!**

ZZC: **Teehee, well there will be tons of those things in the chapters to come! It pleases me greatly to hear you liked the way I started off the story. I hope the rest of the chapters don't disappoint! ^-^ Thank you again for your review! It's greatly appreciated!**

xxx ZoZo-Chan xxx: **Awwww, really? I think Finny is cute too, lolz! He always was my favorite servant (besides Sebastian of course). I'm sorry I couldn't update at a much faster rate, but exams and homework were kicking my poor little butt :(... but it makes me happy to hear that you like what I'm writing! Yes, Sebastian is quite the ass and quite smexxi as well *blushes*. OMG, another mention of the mouth inspection! Lolz, I'm really gonna have to write more of those in for later chapters...anyhoo, thanks a lot for this review! P.S. Your name is so koolio! ^0^**

andrea: **Lolz, I definitely plan to! Now that summer vacation has finally arrived, there will be lots more writing going on. I'm really happy that you like my story so much and took the time to review it! It really means a lot to me! Thanks again! ^-^**

andy: ***stands in best imitation of military position* SIR YES SIR! Lolz, I sound a tad like Bard now... But I will definitely write more! I guarantee it! Lolz, this review got me all excited about writing more for this story...thank you so much for your review! ^-^**

Miyuu~: **Trust me, I will do a lot more updating now that I'm finally out of school. I'm really sorry that I didn't update sooner...dumb school. *sighs* It makes me immensely happy to hear that you like Ciel so much in this story! It pleases me, and it makes my whole idea seem 10x better than I originally thought it was. Thanks so much for taking the time to review! Much appreciated! ^0^**

nomeL-egnarO: ***ducks from incoming tennis balls* Lolz, I try as hard as I can to update but school always finds a way to foil my plans...but not anymore. IT'S SUMMER YO! Sorry about that *coughs*, anyway, thanks a lot for the compliment about my plot. It makes me really happy that a lot of people like the plot so much...it makes me enthusiastic to write more! Thanks for reviewing the last chapter! ^-^**

Nyao-Meow: **Awesomesauce...THAT WORD IS SO EPIC! *spazzes, then sees cookies and nearly has seizure* You are quite right my friend in the regards to cookies...*goes into kitchen to steal a few* Wow...I'm glad you read all 4 of my chapters that I've posted so far! It pleases me to see how dedicated you and everyone else is to this story! Now that I've updated...LOVE AND COOKIES PLZ! Lolz, just kidding! I'm just glad you like my story and took the time to both read and review it! *hands cookie* You and everyone else deserves a cookie for that! Lolz, thanks again! ^0^**


	6. The Plan

******J-C: Shannero! I'm so pumped! XD**

**~Sasuke~ Um...why?**

**J-C: Because Kuroshitsuji 2 will be airing soon (July 1st)! AND because I'm highly pleased with this chapter!**

******Naruto: You aren't pleased with your other ones?**

**J-C: Of course I am...but this one is finally when the plot kicks off for One Hell of a Master!**

**Naruto: Well then, I guess that is something to get excited about! Wait, you did start on the plot for Broken right?**

**J-C: Since the 2nd chapter Naruto...**

******Naruto: *smiles* Just making sure...**

**~Sasuke~ *rolls eyes* Okay Miss Pumped Up Author, how about starting the chapter so your fans can finally get to the plot of the story?**

**J-C: Sure thing! But first, I just wanted to give a shout out to all of my awesome reviewers and fans that have continued to read this story! Thanks to you guys, I'VE REACHED 100+ REVIEWS (110 reviews to be exact)! ^0^ I'm so happy and touched! I never imagined this story would become that popular. You guys are so koolio and sweet! I swear, I think I'm going to die from happiness from all the reviewing, favoriting, and alerting that has been going on!**

**~Sasuke~ Yes, that's great...but I think your readers are gonna die from the suspense if you keep rambling on...**

**J-C: Gotcha! Sadly, the suspense will continue with our Disclaimer and Warnings! XD**

**Disclaimer: No matter how excited I get every time I see the name Kuroshitsuji and Kuroshitsuji 2, I will never own neither one of them...**

******Warnings: Hold your breath everyone because there is tons of violence (it may be a tad bloody and gory at times, so definitely not for the faint-hearted and people with weak stomachs), language around every corner, sexual situations/themes may leap out at you, a lime (maybe, I'm not sure if what happens in here really counts as one, but I'm warning it just in case...;D) may cause your breathing rate to increase significantly, and BOY X BOY LOVE may stop your heart...yeah. XD**

**J-C: Okay, and just to avoid confusion (it never hurts to remind people ^-^), thoughts look like this (**_the suspense is killing me!_**), emphasized words look like this (Hurry!) or like this (_Come on already!_), XXX stands for time/scene changes, regular dialogue and stuff looks like this (**Get to it already!**), sound effects look like this (POW!), and actions look like this (***keels over from waiting so long***). Alrighty, now that the suspense has thoroughly killed all of my readers, for those who are still alive enjoy Chapter 6 of One Hell of a Master! ^-^**

******

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******Chapter 6: The Plan**

**2 Months Later**

Ciel's eyebrow twitched with annoyance as a controlled smile spread on his face.

"Well," he began slowly, "Can someone explain to me how the cake I made suddenly disappeared?" he asked. He stared down all three of his fellow servants plus Tanaka. A deathly silence settled over the group. Bard scratched behind his head. Maylene pushed the tips of her two index fingers together and blushed, while Finny stood rigidly. The child butler sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Look, I am not mad okay? … Whoever ate the cake has nothing to fear. I just want to know how it tasted," Ciel coaxed. The three adult servants exchanged glances before simultaneously pointing their fingers at Tanaka.

"It was him!" they all accused together. Ciel sighed again and touched two fingers to his forehead.

"You guys really expect me to believe Tanaka was the one who ate the cake? We all know that when he's in that…state he only drinks green tea," Ciel said with slight irritation.

"We're telling the truth Ciel! He was sitting in the corner like he normally does, and then the minute you turned around he put the whole cake in his mouth!" Bard proclaimed loudly. Ciel focused his calculating gaze on the cook, causing the blonde American to gulp nervously. The youngest in the room shook his head before walking over to the quietly sitting butler. He placed his hands behind his back and leaned down to inspect his teacher.

"Ho ho ho?" Tanaka "asked". Ciel froze at the sight of several crumbs stuck in the man's moustache.

"Tanaka," Ciel began slowly. He wasn't sure if the elderly man could understand him when he succumbed to his illness during the day, but he decided to warn him anyway. "Try not to eat a whole cake all at once, alright? You may get indigestion," he finished thoughtfully before straightening himself out. Bard puffed out his chest.

"I told you we weren't lying!" he boasted. Ciel rolled his eyes before turning to face the three adult servants. A slow smirk settled on his face.

"Yes, it is indeed true that you did not lie to me," he started off. Finny smiled happily at Ciel's admittance of his error. "However," the smirk on the young boy's face instantly morphed into a frown, "What I do see is you guys are slacking off! If you have time to prove your innocence to me, then you should be working instead!" he scolded. He pointed at the three frightened adults with an accusatory finger.

"Now get to work!" he ordered harshly. Maylene, Finny, and Bard all rushed out of the kitchen to go attend to their separate duties. They would rather work than have to feel the wrath of the child butler. When the door closed behind Finny, Ciel released an exhausted sigh. He tiredly rubbed his eyes and yawned hugely. The dark-haired child had thought he would get to have six hours of sleep since Sebastian was absent for two months, which meant he didn't have to spend two hours as his pet. But Tanaka had instead extended his teaching hours an extra two hours. He claimed it was so Ciel's body would be adjusted to only receiving four hours of sleep every night once Sebastian returned. Tanaka's plan was failing miserably; Ciel was exhausted from the moment he awakened to the second his head touched his pillow.

His uncovered eye looked over at the clock hanging over the stove. He groaned and ran his hand through his hair in frustration. It was only 1:30 pm. He still had more than 12 hours before he could finally go to sleep. He glanced at Tanaka sitting in the corner and put his finger to his lips in a shushing motion.

"I will only be gone for a couple of hours Tanaka. Do not, and I repeat, do not tell the others where I have taken off to. Got it?" he asked. Tanaka looked confused for a moment before giving Ciel his characteristic ho ho's to show his acknowledgment. Ciel tiredly smiled before turning to pass through the door his fellow servants had passed through moments ago.

Some days for Ciel were easier than others. Today was not one of those days. When he found the workload unbearable, there was a special place that only Ciel knew of where he could rest his mind and body. He had discovered the area by complete accident. He had been hanging up one of Sebastian's sheets that Maylene had accidently spilled floor polish on when a particularly violent gust of wind blew the sheet out of Ciel's hands. He had growled angrily before chasing the linen around the yard. It was almost as if the wind was playing games with the peeved butler. Every time he would bend down to grab the sheet, another gust of wind would blow, ripping the sheet out of his grasp.

He wasn't sure how long he had been chasing the sheet for, but when he finally got it securely in his hands, he found himself in an area of the mansion that he had never seen before. It was a quiet little area, located in the crook between the side of the manor and its backyard. There were a few slabs of marble in the area, and it was completely surrounded by bushes. The only sounds that the young butler heard were the chirping of birds and the rustling of the wind in the trees and bushes. He had instantly felt at peace in the little corner of the mansion. He had also felt sleepy. Amazingly, he sat down in the corner of the area and instantly fell asleep. The only reason he had woke up from his peaceful sleep was because he heard Finny and Maylene desperately calling for him. It was at that precise moment that Ciel decided to keep this corner secret from the other servants.

Ciel slipped out the back door from the laundry room and cautiously looked around his surroundings. He listened intently for the sounds of his fellow workers. When all that greeted his sharp ears was the sound of the breeze, Ciel inhaled deeply before releasing a sigh of relief. It was a beautiful day. Ciel looked up at the sky that was nearly the same color as his normal eye and closed his eyes. The past two months had been the best time of his life…well, at least the life he could remember. Sure, he was constantly cleaning up the mistakes of the other servants, despite the fact he had his own work to complete. He had to stay up late, studying hard under Tanaka's relentless instruction, and do his best to memorize all the roles and procedures a butler had to do every day in order to keep the manor running like clockwork. He had to be the first one up in the morning, and he also had to be the last one to bed.

Still, he preferred doing all of those things rather than spending a single second with the master of the manor. His serene face took on a disturbed look at the thought of the demon. Sebastian could be expected to arrive home any day now. Ciel truly believed the minute that male stepped foot through the front door of his estate, the boy's life would be turned upside-down. He shuddered at the thought of their last conversation before the demon had departed. He had learned, the hard way, what his role was as Sebastian's pet. He was to fulfill the older male's **sexual** desires for two hours **every** night.

Ciel shook his head and clenched his fists by his side. There was no way that Sebastian could really expect the younger boy to willingly submit to such a degrading role. The boy slowly opened his eyes and touched a hand to his eye patch. The scar the demon had left was proof of the contract Ciel still couldn't remember making.

On some nights, Tanaka would have his own duties to complete, and he would allow for Ciel to have his own study time, where he could research anything he wanted. The boy had been innocently searching the shelves of the Michaelis's expansive collection of books when he noticed a book that was sticking a tad farther out than the rest on the shelf. Curiosity getting the best of him, Ciel had removed the book from its place. He blew gently on the dust-covered cover and coughed as some of the dust got in his mouth. He wiped the front off so he could clearly see the title. The book was titled, _Demons Amongst Us_. Ciel was instantly hooked. Through reading, Ciel was able to discover how demons made contracts and what the symbol on his eye truly meant.

Not only was it proof that a contract did in fact exist between a demon and a human, it was also a way for the contractor and the contracted to find each other. It showed that the human belonged to the demon and vice-versa. That also meant that the demon could not escape the human; neither could the human escape the demon. It was one of the most binding contracts in existence in the supernatural world.

A feeling of fear formed in Ciel's chest at the thought. He dropped his hand from his eye and proceeded down the back door steps. While he walked to his secret place, he constantly looked around him. His area of peace and contentment would be forever lost if anyone else found out where it was. Finally, he reached his salvation. He pushed his way through the overgrown bushes. His eyes softened at the sight of his corner. He could already feel the stresses of the day lifting off his shoulders and disappearing into the atmosphere. He walked to the corner and sat with his back against the wall. He allowed his head to softly hit the side of the wall. He closed his eyes and sighed in contentment. This was the only place on Earth that the young boy truly felt safe. Even his own bed wasn't safe anymore. He frowned at what had been occurring for the past two months.

The night Sebastian had departed from the mansion, Ciel had expected to have pleasant days and even pleasanter dreams. Instead, he had nightmares that involved both him and the demon **willingly** participating in sexual activities with one another. That wasn't even the worst part. The young butler would bolt up in his bed and find that a certain part of his anatomy was hard and aching. Heart pounding and shame in his eyes, Ciel would have to sit up in his bed and wait for it to revert back to its normal position. By that point, it would be time for him to get up anyway. Hence, why Ciel had been so tired for the past two months. Even when it was time to sleep, Ciel couldn't do so without experiencing a nightmare and having to cut his sleep time to wait for his body to calm down.

Last night had been the worst. Ciel had jerked himself out of his nightmare to find that his anatomy was all in check. He had sighed with relief and moved to roll over. That's when he felt it. It was sticky, and the smell permeated his nostrils. He had thrown off the covers to discover that his dick and inner thighs were covered in an opaque and white fluid. He had blinked with shock at the unknown substance covering the top of his bottom half. Shame and misery coursed through his veins as he slowly moved from his dirtied bed to the bathroom. The whole time he bathed, he whispered prayers to God to forgive him for having such sinful nightmares. He discovered that his fluid-covered cock was more sensitive than ever. Despite the strange sensitivity, Ciel quickly cleaned it, blushing the whole time.

Once he was finished washing and drying himself, he clothed himself and moved back to his bed. He groaned softly when he realized he would have to wash the sheets now. By the time he had finished cleaning and drying the sheets and placing them back on the bed, it was time for him to actually begin his day.

That's why today Ciel was severely exhausted. He felt his body sliding from its upright position, and he curled in on himself as he fell asleep on the ground. This was the only place where Sebastian couldn't mess with him. Even in his dreams, Ciel was safe in this spot.

**XXX**

A pair of binoculars was raised to the male's eyes as he crouched in the bushes. He moved the dial on top to help the lenses' focus. He positioned the seeing device to one of the windows of the mansion. A young purple-haired maid was dusting off the top of a globe. He watched as the woman dropped the globe. She instantly freaked and looked around frantically to see if anyone noticed. The man's mouth twitched as if he was going to smile. He shifted silently to look into another window. This time, a blonde man was what the binoculars focused on. He appeared to be busy with something. He scratched behind his head as if he were puzzled before turning to speak with someone that the hiding man couldn't see. Suddenly, the blonde man whipped out a weapon and proceeded to set whatever he had been working on aflame.

Shocked at the action and the sight of the weapon, the mysterious man quickly focused on the front of the mansion. He didn't see nothing but grass and the occasional statue or fountain. He moved more to the right and stopped at the sight of an orange head of hair. A young man popped up with dirt covering his smiling face. He was proudly holding a plant of some sort in one hand and a hose in the other. He turned to walk away from his current position. An entertained smile formed on the silent man's face as the plants behind him quickly withered. He moved his binoculars from the comical gardener and continued to look in every window of the expansive estate. His smile continued to grow. Just when he was about to end his peeking, his binoculars ran over something different.

He quickly whipped them back in the direction where he had seen the oddity. A look of confusion formed on his face. In the lenses of his binoculars, a small body was curled up on the ground. He zoomed the lenses in to get a better look. Once they were focused, his confusion only increased. A small boy was currently sleeping in the corner of the manor. But it wasn't the sight of the child sleeping that confused the spying man; it was his attire. The boy was dressed in the traditional clothing of a butler. After watching the sleeping child for a moment, he finally put down the binoculars and scooted backwards out of the bushes.

"What did you see?" a voice called from above. The previously peeping man looked up to see another man dressed in a brown robe similar to his own. The only difference between the two males attire was the cords wrapped around their midsections. The man in the tree had a gold-colored cord while the one on the ground had a silver one. He smirked before removing the hood from his head. The man in the tree did the same.

"You were right boss. The master of the manor, Master Michaelis, is not at home. Those three idiots for servants that he has are still present, just as you said," the man reported. The man's piercing green eyes locked with the other male's muddy brown ones.

"Something's troubling you Walter. Out with it," the man in the tree commanded. Walter allowed his confusion to show before tossing the binoculars up to the robe-wearing man.

"There seems to be a new addition to the Michaelis household. I have never seen him before," Walter said.

"A new addition you say?" the man asked with slight confusion. Walter nodded.

"He is but a child, yet he is dressed in the clothing of a butler," the brown-eyed man explained. The other man blinked, clearly confused, and positioned the binoculars over his own eyes. He focused on the manor and searched for the mysterious newcomer. Just when he was about to toss the binoculars onto Walter's head in anger at being lied to, he saw the child. A slow smirk spread on his face, before he began to laugh lowly.

"Abraham?" Walter asked uncertainly. Abraham gently tossed the binoculars down to Walter before gracefully jumping down from his position in the tree.

"You are correct Walter. It appears as if Earl Michaelis has taken on a new servant," he said before gripping the other man's shoulder. Walter blinked before a slow smile spread on his own face.

"Are you saying…?"

"Yes Walter. **He** will be quite pleased with this recent turn of events. But we must report this to him quickly," Abraham ended seriously before releasing the brown-eyed male's shoulder. Walter nodded with a grin.

"Of course…boss," Walter said with respect. The two men turned away from the mansion and disappeared into the thicket.

**XXX**

Ciel shivered before rolling over with a groan. He slowly opened his eyes and expected to be blinded by sunlight. When no blindness occurred, Ciel completely opened his eyes. He sat up slowly and breathed in the cool night air. He blinked.

_Night…wait, it is nighttime? How long was I sleeping for? Well, that's not important at the moment…what is important is that I return immediately to the manor. I just hope Finny and the others didn't destroy anything while I was asleep._

Ciel yawned hugely as he stretched his limbs. Although peaceful, Ciel's hiding spot was definitely not the most comfortable. His side was sore from where it had been pressing down on the marble tile beneath it. He rubbed his eye in an attempt to rid it of sleep. He didn't want the others to know exactly what he was doing for such a long period of time. He slowly stood up and proceeded to stretch again. Judging by the position of the moon, it was early evening.

Ciel's stomach growled and a frown settled on his face. He had skipped tea time and lunch, so he was positively famished. He winced at the thought of having to eat Bard's cooking, but the thought of food was too tempting to the hungry butler. He brushed his uniform off before heading back towards the back door of the manor. He went a little quicker than normal. He wasn't sure why, but he had feeling of apprehension; almost like something was about to happen. It sort of felt as if he was being watched. He shook off the feeling as his hand touched the familiar doorknob of the back door.

He slipped in quickly and quietly shut the door behind himself. He moved to the entrance of the laundry room and peeked his head out. The blue-eyed boy looked up and down the corridor. When he spotted no one, he moved out into the hallway. Ciel walked as if he had not just snuck back inside as he made his way to the kitchen. He breathed a sigh of relief at the light that shone from underneath the doorway. He inhaled and was surprised when he actually didn't smell something burnt. Still slightly shocked, Ciel opened the door and walked through the unusually clean kitchen. The youth had expected to see the kitchen sopping wet and in shambles. There wasn't even a single burn mark on the surface of the stove!

_Perhaps Bard is finally taking responsibility for his actions…_

Ciel shrugged his shoulders and proceeded to walk into the dining area for the servants. He walked in to see Tanaka, Finny, Maylene, and Bard all enjoying their meal. At the sound of the door closing, they all turned to look at Ciel. All four of them smiled at the newcomer. Feeling awkward, Ciel moved to take a seat at the table.

"I apologize for my lateness everyone," Ciel began. Tanaka smiled gently at his student before passing him a full plate of food.

"That's quite alright Ciel," Tanaka said good-naturedly. Ciel could instantly tell something was wrong. Tanaka rarely tolerated lateness. For the elder butler to shake it off as if there wasn't anything wrong with that was unimaginable. Ciel looked down at his plate of food and gently poked at the chicken.

"Hey, you can eat it Ciel. Don't worry, nothing is gonna jump out at you," Bard commented gruffly before shoveling a forkful of potatoes in his mouth. Ciel blinked; Bard was not acting like himself. Normally, he would become irate and start yelling if anyone didn't immediately eat his food. As Ciel stared at the eating blonde, he felt his sense of apprehension return. He quickly pushed it down and began eating. Finny instantly began chattering about his day outside and about all the things he had seen while he was working. Ciel said nothing as the rest of the servants laughed at the red head's antics. He was too busy analyzing the odd behavior taking place at the table.

To anyone who didn't know the servants of the Michaelis household, the meal they were sharing together would've looked completely normal. But it seemed all wrong to the youngest one at the table. Bard hadn't called Finny an idiot once, Finny hadn't broken a dish or a utensil, and Maylene hadn't spilled anything at all. Tanaka hadn't ho ho ho'd once! It was all too strange for Ciel.

_Something is not right…what is going on? It feels as if I'm the only one who's noticing this strangeness…_

When Ciel finished eating, he began to gather up his plate like he normally did.

"Oh! Ciel, don't worry about t-that. I'll take care of it tonight," Maylene quickly cut in. All attention was once again focused on him. Ciel looked at the maid for a moment before slowly putting his plate on the table.

"Alright…then I will just go and organize the accounts," Ciel started off. All four servants smiled at him, causing the boy to feel uneasy. He was positive now; there was definitely something going on.

He walked to the door of the dining room, feeling the eyes of the adults on his back as he departed. He licked his lips and ran a hand through his hair. He walked out of the kitchen as the sounds of eating and chatter resumed in the dining area.

Ciel made his way through the large mansion and wished he had brought his candle stick with him. Although there were lit candles throughout the halls, he couldn't help but feel nervous as he walked through them.

He clenched his fists and mocked himself for his foolishness. What was he afraid of? He had walked through these halls countless times by himself. Why was he nervous now?

But no matter how much he mocked and berated himself, he couldn't shake his feelings of anxiety. He came to the end of the hall that led to the room where all of Sebastian's accounts were held and recorded. Suddenly, the sound of breaking glass filled the once quiet corridors. Ciel jumped, frightened for a moment. He softly chuckled at his foolishness; it was probably Maylene being careless again, he told himself. The young butler shook his head at himself and moved to turn the corner.

His heart stopped. At the end of this hall was a glass window. That window was now shattered. But it wasn't the sight of the broken glass that caused cold fear to invade and suffocate all of Ciel's senses. It was what was laying in the broken glass. A hunched over figure was hissing and cursing softly. Whoever was there hadn't noticed Ciel yet. He watched, horrified, as another cloaked figure climbed through the window. That person didn't notice Ciel either as he toppled onto the person on the ground.

"Watch it idiot!" one of the figures barked. A mumbled sorry could be heard before the moon shone on what the cloaked person held in one of his hands. Ciel inhaled sharply. The sound of his own breathing was like a knife slicing through the silence. He shook, petrified at the sight of the gun held in one of the figure's hands. His heart beat wildly. Sweat formed on his brow as he breathed unsteadily. Any moment now, one of the cloaked figures would turn and see Ciel standing there. His mind screamed for him to run before it was too late. He had to warn the others. But his mind stood stock still. He was paralyzed by his own fear.

**BAM!**

A gun shot rang through the air. Ciel jumped and gasped loudly at the sound. The two figures froze at the sound of the shot and looked around.

"What the hell was that?" one of them growled lowly.

"Who knows? Let's just get this over with already," the other one retorted.

This was Ciel's last chance. Both of the men were standing now, their backs facing him. They were going to move and see him standing at the end of the hallway. His hand twitched and he gulped, but still, Ciel couldn't move. Slowly, both men turned in Ciel's direction.

Ciel's heart leapt into his throat as a hand clamped down over his mouth. He was pulled harshly into the hall he had just come through and pressed back into a body. Thinking he was being kidnapped, Ciel opened his mouth to scream.

"Shhhh, Ciel it's me," Bard hissed. Ciel's chest quickly rose and fell as he trembled for a moment in the blonde man's arms. Realization slowly seeped into his mind, and he slowly felt himself calm down.

Until he heard the click of revolver. "Take one wrong move blondie and your brains will be on display on that wall over there," a harsh voice instructed. Ciel's uncovered eye looked to see one of the cloaked figures standing next to their hiding place. He felt Bard shake behind him; shocked, he listened to the American chuckle.

"Are you sure it won't be a stomach?" Bard asked roughly. The cloaked figure cocked his head to the side in confusion.

**BLAM!**

Ciel's ears rang, and he choked on the smell of gunpowder. Bard released his hold on the butler, and Ciel stumbled out of his embrace. He turned to see Bard lighting a cigarette with one hand while he held a still smoking pistol in the other. The boy's eyes widened at the sight. He turned and saw the cloaked man lying in a pool of his own blood. Some of his blood was splattered on the wall behind his broken body.

"B-Bard…wha-" Ciel began to ask but Bard sharply cut him off.

"Now's not the time for questions Ciel! Listen carefully," the sound of more shattering glass could be heard from the other end of the hall. Ciel winced at the sound but focused all his attention on the cook's words. "You need to find your way to Master Michaelis's study. Once inside," a bullet whizzed through the air. Bard cursed before aiming down the adjacent hallway. A shocked scream could be heard before several more shots were fired in retaliation. "Call for help! He keeps his telephone right beneath his desk, but it's not plugged in because he hasn't installed electricity in that room yet," Bard yelled. By now, Ciel could hear the thumps of several more people falling onto the floor.

_Just how many people are breaking in here? _Ciel thought frantically. His heart was racing but he didn't allow for Bard to see his fear. The blonde had just saved his life. He owed it to the cook to follow his instructions.

"Okay! Where do I go for electricity?" Ciel yelled over the sounds of shattering glass and flying bullets. Bard didn't answer for a moment as he turned in the other direction. With perfect aim, he shot a solitary man making his way down the hall. He emitted a pained cry before falling to the floor with a thud.

"Go down to the cellar! It's in the cellar where you will be able to connect the telephone. Once you're there, you must call for the police!" Bard hollered. Ciel nodded but Bard's request seemed impossible. From the sounds around him, it appeared as if the unknown people were breaking in from all areas of the mansion. Sebastian's study was on the other side of the mansion, and the cellar was at least a few feet below the first floor. Even if he did make it to the cellar, he would be virtually trapped if one of the invaders came down there to investigate.

"Alright, I got it! But what about you and the oth-?"

"Don't worry about us!" Bard yelled out. Ciel watched with shock as he whipped out a rifle. A slow smile spread on the blonde man's face. "We all live for this kind of stuff," he said in an almost happy tone. "Now go!" he hollered out before leaping into the hallway where the first dead man lay. Ciel watched, stunned for a moment, as the cook rolled on the floor and shot at the invading men. Several more screams pierced through the air as Bard ducked for cover behind a statue. Remembering his duty, Ciel glanced one last time at the smoking man before turning to run down the hall.

Blood pounded in his ears as adrenaline rushed through his veins. He was so confused. He didn't know what was going on at all.

_Why are these men invading? How does Bard have so many weapons on hand at once? Where are Maylene, Finny, and Tanaka? Are they alright? How am I going to avoid all of these people without getting caught? What's going to happen to me if I get caught? And where the hell is that demon?_

Ciel's questions and thoughts raced through his mind as his legs pounded on the floor beneath him. He turned down another hallway and screeched to a halt at the sound of an explosion. These people had bombs! Ciel nearly fell over his own two feet as he quickly changed direction.

"HEY! STOP THAT KID!" a voice yelled out. Ciel cursed and dove behind a marble statue as several rounds of gunfire flew past. He crawled on his belly and used his arms and feet to drag himself on the floor until he reached the end of the hall. He instantly leaped to his feet and raced down the corridor. The running butler could hear the sound of curses and thumping feet. Luckily, they were going in the opposite direction.

He released a puff of air in relief before focusing on his goal. Right now, he was running parallel to the main corridor that led to Sebastian's study. If he continued running at this pace, he should reach his goal in about five minutes. His legs burned; they weren't used to this kind of exercise. But he knew that if he stopped it would all be over. Bard and everyone else were depending on Ciel. He couldn't allow himself to let them down.

Suddenly, the window to the side of where Ciel was about to run shattered. Ciel placed his hands over his head to protect his face from the shards of glass. He reached out and grabbed a lance from one of the armored suits in the hallway. Before the man could even take a look at his surroundings, Ciel smashed the man's skull with the butt of the lance. The wet sound of impact caused the boy's stomach to lurch, but he quickly shook the thought out of his head. He dropped the weapon and turned left. He was now heading towards the main hall. Hope flared in his chest.

_I just might make it!_

"OH MY GOD! What happened to Henry?" a voice cried from the hall Ciel had just exited. The boy squeezed his eyes shut at the anguished man's cry. Ciel may have been able to repent for killing an anonymous man, but now that he knew the name of the man he had killed, it made him sick to his stomach. He didn't have time to send a quick prayer to God before he heard the sound of feet pounding down the hall. He turned and saw the glint of a flame thrower aimed down the hall he was sprinting down.

With a gasp, Ciel reached out and used all his force to smash his way into the room. He slammed the broken door behind him just as the flames shot down the passage. He leaned against the door, fighting to catch his breath. Sweat was running down his face, and he cursed whatever idiot decided that wool was the perfect material to make a butler's clothes from. When the roar of the flames suddenly cut off, Ciel stopped breathing. He heard a dark chuckle coming from right outside the door.

"Ha! Burn in hell you son of a bitch," the man said vehemently. He turned and walked back down the hall as if nothing had happened. Only when the sound of his footsteps faded away did Ciel breathe. He fell to his knees and violently vomited. Not only had he just killed a man, but he himself had almost been killed.

_Why is this happening?_

Silence formed around the frantically breathing child. He wiped his mouth and shakily stood up. He could faintly hear the sound of shots being fired, but they sounded as if they were outside and on the other side of the manor. He closed his eyes for a moment.

_Please God, let Bard, Maylene, Finny, and Tanaka be okay!_

After crossing himself and mumbling a quick Amen, he turned and slowly turned the doorknob. He peeked his head out of the doorway and looked both ways down the hall. Ignoring the burn marks on the wallpaper, Ciel swiftly moved from his hiding place and resumed running towards his destination. He was pleasantly surprised to find that the main hallway was empty. In fact, it looked as if this area of Sebastian's estate hadn't even been touched yet! Hope renewed, Ciel picked up his pace and turned right down the main hall.

Déjà vu flashed through Ciel's mental thoughts as he ran towards the double doors at the end of the hall. The reasons for running this time were completely different than when he had done it nearly two and half months ago. Yet, as he burst through the double doors, he almost expected to see Sebastian facing him with that open-mouth smirk of his.

He shook his head and quickly slammed the doors behind him. He didn't dare light a candle in his master's study. He didn't want to alert the intruders that someone was in here. He blindly groped around the demon's neat office. He winced but didn't cry out as he stubbed his toe on the corner of the desk. Dropping to his knees, Ciel crawled on the floor until he was behind the large desk. He prayed that no one from outside had seen him when he had first entered the office. He reached his gloved hand out and felt around for the telephone. He resisted the urge to cry out in joy when his hand wrapped around the neck of the phone. Clutching the piece of technology to his chest, Ciel praised God for getting him safely to his destination.

Now, he needed to get to the cellar to get the phone to work. Determination written all over his young face, Ciel crawled on his hands and knees towards the double doors. He pressed his ear to the door and listened. When silence greeted his ears, Ciel stood up and slowly opened the door. He leaned back against the double doors and closed his eyes. A mental map of Sebastian's manor formed in his mind. Judging by how things looked here, the intruders were most likely in the main lobby, probably all downstairs, and on both levels of the left half of the mansion. The cellar was located right below the kitchen. If Ciel was careful, he just might be able to sneak past some of the intruders and dart into the kitchen. If the young butler could get there, then he was home free!

Plan formed, Ciel opened his eyes and ran down the main hallway. It was going to take him a little longer this time to get to the kitchen because he was taking the back routes to get there, just to be on the safe side. When he didn't see anybody for a few moments, he couldn't help but feel slightly confident. Perhaps the intruders had given up! Or the others were able to hold them off. Regardless, the lack of resistance gave Ciel an optimistic outlook.

_But somehow, this seems too easy…_

Ciel turned left and ran right into a wall. With a thud and a pained cry, Ciel crashed to the floor. He gritted his teeth, and shut his eyes in pain. Ciel's heart stopped when something cool and circular pressed into his forehead.

_No normal wall feels like this…_

"Don't…move…" a voice instructed coldly. Ciel's breath caught at the sound of the safety of the gun being released, "Or I'll shoot you point blank," the voice finished. Despite the fear he felt inside, Ciel didn't let that fear show in his eye as he slowly opened it to look at his attacker. The man slowly stepped back to fully take in Ciel's appearance. A look of disgust formed on his face.

"So, you're the butler of the Queen's dog…You disgust me," the man spat out. Ciel, honestly confused, stared blankly at the man.

_Queen's dog? Who is the Queen's dog? Could he be talking about Sebastian?_

"State your name boy," the man ordered. Ciel looked at him coolly.

"Ciel Phantomhive. But what does that have to do with anyth-?"

"SHUT UP! Did I say you could ask any questions?" the man shouted harshly. His muddy brown eyes darted wildly around the hall, almost as if he was expecting an attack of some sort. He took another two steps away from the sitting butler.

"Don't you **dare** think you have any right to talk to me, got it? For you to work so willingly for that dog makes me sick. Just the sight of you in those clothes nauseates me," he hissed hatefully. Ciel blinked as he tried to think of a way out of this situation. His gloved hands clutched the phone even tighter; the movement attracted the hooded man's attention.

"Oh? It seems as if you're about to make a call of some sort. Are you thinking about calling your master little boy?" the man said in an oddly sweet voice.

_This guy is crazy! It's just my luck…I get stuck with the mental intruder…_

The male laughed harshly, and Ciel inwardly winced at the sound. "Go ahead, please do. I'm sure your master will come to rescue his butler once he hears you die on the phone. Don't worry…Ciel. Your death will not be vain; you'll help us to finally trap and kill that deal-breaking dog," the brown-eyed man said gleefully. Ciel breathed deeply before speaking.

"What you just said makes no sense…if you kill me while I'm talking on the phone, why would my master come to rescue a dead body?" Ciel reasoned. The man blinked before glaring at the child. He moved the gun so it was positioned at his throat.

"Fine then. I won't kill you immediately. I'll just injure you severely. Ah, how wonderful your voice will sound choking with blood as you try to plead for your master to come and rescue you," his eyes hardened as he spoke his next words, "Call him," he ordered. Ciel looked at the man with the gun as if he was the dumbest person in existence.

"I can't. There is not any electricity her-"

"LIAR! You are gonna call him right now! Do it or I'll kill you!" he screamed. Ciel's heart began beating wildly, and a hint of fear shimmered in his eye.

"I'm trying to tell you, I cannot call him! Besides, I wasn't going to call him in the firs-" Ciel cowered as the man shot at the wall directly beside his head. Plaster from the wall flew in all directions, coating Ciel in a white powder. He was terrified now. The man smiled manically at the frightened child.

"If you don't call Lord Michaelis **right** now, I will kill you," he said. The click of the revolver turning left the child immobilized with fright.

"No…d-don't kill me!" Ciel pleaded, hoping that if he changed his tone the man might listen to him.

"Then call him!" he commanded again. Ciel shook his head and began to tremble.

"I cannot!" he yelled back.

"DO IT CIEL!" the man roared. Ciel squeezed his eyes shut and frantically shook his head back and forth.

"I am going to give you one last chance…call your master," the man said as he positioned the gun at Ciel's throat.

_I'm sorry everyone. I hope you guys can forgive me for letting you all down…_

Feeling braver than ever before, Ciel steeled himself and looked at his killer dead in the eyes.

"No," he said in an eerily calm voice.

**BLAM!**

Ciel closed his eyes, waiting for the hot metal to pierce through his throat and end his life. When he felt no pain, he thought that maybe he had been spared a painful death.

"W-What the…" the man's voice said shakily. Ciel was confused.

_If I am dead, then why do I still hear him?_

The smell of gunpowder assaulted his nostrils, and he sneezed.

"My, my. Is my pet coming down with a cold?" a familiar voice asked tauntingly.

_No way…_

"H-How? How did you…" the man trailed off again. Ciel slowly opened his eyes to find a gloved hand inches away from his face. His eyes widened, and he inhaled sharply, just now remembering that he hadn't breathed since he had been shot at. Held between the gloved middle and ring finger was the bullet that should've hit Ciel squarely in the face. The young butler whirled and looked directly into the crimson eyes of his master, Sebastian Michaelis.

"Sebastian?" he cried out in surprise. Sebastian smirked at the boy's surprise at seeing him.

"Hello," he said good-naturedly, as if he wasn't holding a bullet he had caught inches away from Ciel's face and was instead greeting him at a social event.

"H-He's here! Quickly, head to the east wing of the manor!" the man yelled into his walkie-talkie. As if just realizing there was another person in the room, Sebastian turned to face the man.

"Honestly, must humans be so rude as to break into one's house in the middle of the night and leave completely unwanted gifts behind?" Sebastian said in a patronizing tone. The man gasped before glaring hatefully at the pale male. He pointed the gun at Sebastian's perfect face and prepared to shoot.

"I will return your gift for my pet back to you. The thought is much appreciated though," Sebastian said pleasantly before moving his hand as if he was back slapping the man across his face. The man fell silently to the ground, dead, with a bullet lodged in his heart.

Ciel watched in complete shock as Sebastian wiped the back of his forehead with his glove. He remained speechless even as Sebastian cupped his ghostly pale face.

"Are you alright Ciel? Can you still move?" Sebastian asked. His master's voice snapped Ciel back into reality, and he slapped the demon's hands away from his face.

"Physically, yes! But-?"

"Good," Sebastian cut him off. He stood up and looked down at his pet.

"Stand Ciel. We have to move quickly before they arrive," Sebastian said as he glanced down the corridor. He didn't even give time for the boy to stand on his own; he reached down and clasped his butler's hand in his own. He yanked him up from his sitting position, causing the shocked butler to drop the phone. Barely catching his balance, Ciel obediently ran after Sebastian. Well, more like he was dragged behind Sebastian.

The youthful looking man had to remind himself that he had a human in tow. It was highly inconvenient for him, but he couldn't move at his fastest speed. His sensitive ears picked up the sound of one of the floorboards creaking up ahead. Ciel gasped as he was suddenly thrown into the air. He watched breathlessly as Sebastian back-flipped away from a man with an ax. Where Sebastian had been standing, a gaping slash from the blade of the ax was in its place.

As if gravity recovered from the shock of having someone so large go against its laws, Ciel felt himself beginning to fall back to the ground. Sebastian mentally cursed as he heard Ciel's body begin to fall back to the ground. With practiced grace, Sebastian moved to the side of the man and punched him, easily breaking through his flesh and bone. He pulled out one of the man's lungs and crushed it in his hand. The shocked man fell to the ground, wheezing and writhing in pain. He caught Ciel with one arm and gently set him on the ground. He grabbed Ciel's hand with his clean hand and pulled him away from the dying man.

"We have to keep moving," Sebastian said in a surprisingly pleasant tone of voice. Ciel, still stricken with horror at what he had just seen, dug his heels into the ground. Sebastian stopped himself, even though he could've easily kept moving. He turned to the frowning child, and Ciel released his hand vehemently. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at his master.

"I am not going anywhere with you until you tell me what is going on," he said determinedly. Sebastian sighed.

"I will tell you later," Sebastian responded. He grabbed for Ciel's hand and resumed running. Ciel did so reluctantly. The only reason he was running with the demon was because he could still ask his questions at the same time.

"What did that guy mean by the Queen's dog? Just what exactly do you do Master? What deal did you break with these guys?" Ciel called out. Sebastian completely ignored his butler's questions. His eyes drifted to the left to glance out the windows. A small smirk developed on his face. Ciel cried out as he was suddenly yanked to the ground. Sebastian quickly released his hand and rolled over so he was on top of Ciel. Milliseconds later, a bomb exploded right over their heads. Ciel's teeth clacked at the force of the explosion. Before the smoke cleared, the two were back on their feet. They ran down the rest of the hall and made a right.

Sebastian came to a halt, and Ciel bumped into his back. "Why did you stop?" Ciel asked angrily. The demon said nothing. Suddenly, Ciel could hear voices. He realized with horror that they were coming from both directions. In less than a minute, he and Sebastian were completely surrounded. Sebastian moved back into the wall, and he held out an arm in a protective gesture.

"Whatever you do Ciel, do not move. When I tell you to close your eyes, do it," Sebastian whispered softly. Thinking it was better just to obey him for a change, Ciel made a small noise of acknowledgement.

"We finally got you!" one of the cloaked figures cried out excitedly.

"Hmm, it appears that even dogs have compassion for things. Look at him, even when his life is about to end, he still is attempting to protect his butler," another one commented, causing some of the men to chuckle. Ciel shivered at the sound of their laughter; this group of men was reminding him of the men who had almost raped him two months ago. Unintentionally, he clasped onto Sebastian's outstretched arm. The demon could sense Ciel's fear at the situation. He used a part of his power to calm the boy down. It seemed to work; Ciel's grip on his arm loosened slightly.

Sebastian smirked his trademark smirk at the group of men who had surrounded them. There were about twenty of them; this was nearly the whole group of intruders that hadn't been taken down by his other servants or himself.

"Close your eyes Ciel, and don't open them until I tell you to," Sebastian whispered. Ciel looked up at the side of Sebastian's serious face, and nodded. He slid his lids shut. No sooner did Ciel close his eyes did Sebastian's begin to glow. The cloaked intruders watched in awe as Sebastian's eyes changed from a dull crimson to a glowing scarlet. Too late, they realized they were no match for the Queen's dog. Right before Sebastian widened his eyes completely, one of the men pulled out his gun and shot Sebastian. The bullet grazed his arm just as Sebastian released his power.

The candle that had been directly in Sebastian's line of sight erupted into an inferno of fire that completely engulfed the men. Ciel clung onto Sebastian's arm and did his best to block out the sound of the men's strangled cries and groans. He tried to ignore the scent of burning flesh that quickly filled the air. Only when the last man finally succumbed to the flames did Sebastian turn off his power. The flames instantly died. The only evidence that a fire had occurred was the scorch mark on the carpet. There wasn't even a trace of the twenty men's bodies.

"Open…your eyes Ciel," Sebastian said with a slight tremor in his voice. Believe it or not, what he had just done had taken a lot of power out of him. This wasn't the first group of people he had to wipe out since he returned to his manor to find it being ransacked. Ciel did so and gasped.

"What happened to them?" Ciel asked. Sebastian shook his head and moved to grab Ciel's hand.

"That's unimportant right now," Sebastian began. "Let's g-" Sebastian winced as he moved the arm that was grazed by the bullet.

_Guns are just not what they used to be. Good thing that was only one made for humans…_

Ciel's eyes widened as he saw the blood soaking into the sleeve of his master's jacket. Sebastian had been injured! The shock knocked the wind out of him.

"M-Master, your arm…" he began uncertainly. Sebastian tugged on his hand and pulled him away from the wall.

"We **have **to keep moving," he said icily. Ciel glared and yanked his hand out of Sebastian's grip.

"Stop it! You keep saying we need to move, and you refuse to answer any of my questions! Now, until you start providing some answers, I am not moving a single inch," Ciel said disobediently. A tense silence settled over the two, neither one willing to back down. Sebastian slowly smiled.

"Alright," he said, slightly bending forward as if he were bowing. Ciel cried out with surprise when he was lifted from the ground and tossed over his master's shoulder. "Then I guess I will just have to move you myself," he finished slyly as he darted down the hall. Ciel, shocked by the sudden turn of events, began beating Sebastian's back with his fists.

"Bastard! Put me down this instant! Damn it, will you listen to me for once?" he hollered out, not caring if any more intruders found them. Sebastian grinned at his pet's antics and continued running. He had only one goal in mind; he had to find the leader of this invasion. Ciel pouted at being ignored. He looked behind him and gasped.

"Master…!" he called out. He had seen the beginnings of a man's hooded face at the far end of the hallway.

"I know," Sebastian said softly. Spinning on the heel of his foot, Sebastian shifted Ciel so the boy was riding him piggyback style, only Ciel was riding in this style on his chest instead of his back. Quietly, Sebastian scooted them back into the room and smoothly closed the door. Sebastian set Ciel on his feet before signaling for him to move further back into the room. Ciel nodded as they both backed away from the door. The butler inhaled sharply when the back of his knees hit the side of something soft. With a silent cry, Ciel fell onto the bed. The sound of the mattress being pressed down drew Sebastian's attention. Seeing Ciel laying on the bed gave the demon an idea.

A question formed in Ciel's uncovered eye as Sebastian smirked at him. Dread settled in his heart as the pale male made his way over to the bed. Ciel backed up to the headboard, thinking that maybe the demon wanted to sit on the bed. Sebastian's true intentions became clear when he positioned himself over Ciel's body. Ciel glared up at the smirking man.

"What do you think you're doing?" he hissed with a deadly tone. Sebastian said nothing. He moved one hand from the bed to loosen his own tie. Ciel watched, shocked.

_Now? Of all the times, why would he think to do something like this now?_

"Moan Ciel," Sebastian whispered gently. Ciel's eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

"Are you out of your freakin' mind?" Ciel whispered harshly. Sebastian shook his head before looking over at the closed door. He could faintly hear a pair of approaching footsteps.

"If it sounds as if we are engaging in sexual activities, that guy coming down the hall with the intent to kill us will turn away in shame," Sebastian explained softly. Ciel looked at his master with nothing but distrust in his eyes. But he couldn't deny that it was a good plan.

"Now, moan Ciel," Sebastian ordered again. Only this time, he thrust his hips down onto Ciel. Ciel gasped loudly with surprise at the movement. His face erupted in a blush as he weakly moaned. Sebastian shook his head.

"Louder Ciel. We have to sound as if we are in the throes of passion here," Sebastian said before thrusting his hips down again. This time he groaned loudly before repeating the motion. The bed creaked slightly as Ciel covered his eyes in embarrassment.

_This is not happening! I can't believe that I'm faking such a thing with __**him**__!_

Ciel moaned a little bit louder than last time, but to Sebastian it sounded awkward and clearly fake. He needed authenticity here! Ciel gasped with surprise when Sebastian hurriedly began unbuttoning his suit jacket and shirt.

"W-What are you d-d-doing?" Ciel whispered with surprise. Sebastian smirked as Ciel's bare chest was exposed to his hungry eyes. Ciel nearly screamed out in shock when the pale male latched onto one of his nipples as he thrust down again. He hadn't expected for Sebastian to do such a bold thing!

"A-Ah! St-St-Stop!" Ciel cried out. His hands moved to push the black-haired man's head away, but Sebastian reached up and pinned down each of his hands with one of his own. Sebastian smirked before flicking his tongue out to barely touch the tip of one of his pink nubs. "Ooooh! Mmmmm, Maaaaster!" Ciel moaned out.

_Finally…_ Sebastian thought thankfully. He continued his ministrations on Ciel's previously untouched chest, causing the boy below him to writhe and moan with pleasure. Occasionally, he would thrust down, causing Ciel to emit a yelp.

"Open your legs Ciel," Sebastian instructed after releasing one of Ciel's abused nipples from his mouth. Ciel squinted down at the man and did so grudgingly. His legs automatically wrapped around Sebastian's hips. The demon began thrusting consistently onto Ciel, causing a new wave of sensations to course through the boy's body.

"UWAH! N-Noooo! Maaster, hah, I c-can't! N-No mooore, oh god!" Ciel cried out senselessly. What Sebastian didn't realize was that Ciel really couldn't take anymore. Although the demon was slightly getting turned on by the sight below him, he was still mainly focused on the man who was now standing right outside the door. He could literally feel the guy's embarrassment through the wooden barrier.

On the other hand, poor Ciel was completely focused on what Sebastian was doing to his sinfully innocent body. With every thrust, Ciel could feel a certain part of his anatomy getting harder. The sticky substance he had awakened with earlier in the morning was running down the sides of it. An unfamiliar heat was forming near the base of his tummy, causing Ciel to feel as if he needed more than what the demon was giving him. His heart was pounding wildly as blood rushed to his head and face. Every sound and movement he made was real. He could barely catch his breath before Sebastian was moving further down his chest. He plunged his tongue in Ciel's belly button. The younger boy's body arched off the bed at the weird feeling, and he cried out.

"P-P-Please, Sebastian…oh god! AH! Um, st-stop…I d-d-d-don't know what's g-g-going on… my b-body…oh! It hurts!" he screamed out suddenly. Sebastian stopped and finally focused his attention on the body beneath him.

_It couldn't be…_

Ciel's eyes were tightly shut, as his little mouth panted for air. His face was flushed red all the way to the tips of his ears. His chest was rising and falling at an insanely fast rate, and the rest of his body was trembling. Sebastian looked genuinely shocked for a moment before he gently thrust down. Ciel's eyes popped open, and he moaned louder than he had since they had begun this charade.

Sebastian felt it. Ciel was hard…painfully hard from what the boy had just screamed out a few seconds ago. He chuckled softly before leaning down to whisper in Ciel's ear.

"You're turned on Ciel," he whispered sexily before blowing on it. Ciel shivered at the feel.

"Master…no, hah…more, ngh," Ciel said as he twisted his body to move out of Sebastian's hold. Sebastian leaned back and looked down at his delectable pet. He could hear the man shifting uncomfortably outside the door.

"More you say? Well, if that's what you want," Sebastian said loudly. Ciel screamed as Sebastian slammed his hips down onto him. Sebastian released his hold on his hands. Ciel flew up and wrapped his arms around Sebastian's neck. Sebastian smirked before biting down on the junction between Ciel's neck and his shoulder. He continued slamming down on Ciel's bottom half while he tenderly sucked on a sensitive part of Ciel's upper half.

The sensations were too much for the child.

"AAAH! Oh my gooooood! S-St-St-Stop! I feel…I'm g-g-gonna explode! Oh! Oooh! Ahah! Uwah, Sebaaastian…! I am going toooo break, hah, into two! M-my body, mmmm!" Ciel moaned and cried out desperately as he clutched onto the red-eyed man above him. Sebastian grunted and moved from the new mark on Ciel's body to look down at his flustered pet. The look his master gave him caused a knot to begin to form in Ciel's lower belly. Sebastian began wildly thrusting onto the boy beneath him. The bed was creaking quite loudly, but Ciel's shouts and mewls were much louder.

"S-S-Sebastian!" he shrieked. Sebastian glared at the doorway, silently warning the man to leave already.

"T-That's *thrust* right Ciel. *Thrust, thrust* Call my *thrust* name," Sebastian ordered. Ciel obliged, although he couldn't form any coherent thoughts anymore. If the boy was in his right mind, he would be disappointed with himself right now. Sebastian growled out Ciel's own name occasionally.

Ciel was close…to what, he wasn't sure. But the pressure in the lower half of his belly was becoming too much for him.

"I-I-I can't, ah! N-Noooo….oh god!" Ciel squealed. Sebastian silently cheered for his plan being a success. The man had finally moved away from the door and was quickly shuffling away from the door and down the corridor. Ciel was right on the edge. One more thrust and he was done for.

That thrust never came.

Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief and instantly calmed his own body down. He gathered the mess of a butler into his arms and gently whispered his order in the boy's ear.

"Ciel, I order your body to calm down," he commanded. A tingling sensation formed on the back of Sebastian's contracted hand. The same feeling appeared in Ciel's covered eye. He almost instantaneously felt his body calm itself down. When Ciel's body finally stopped shaking and Sebastian could no longer smell arousal in the room, he released the boy. The embarrassed butler quickly buttoned up his unbuttoned shirt and suit jacket before he adjusted his clothing. Ciel shook his head before glaring at Sebastian. He looked ready to slap him in his face.

"What the hell? How could you…never mind. More importantly, what is going on? Why are these guys invading the manor? And what exactly are you besides a lying, molesting, demon?" Ciel yelled angrily. Sebastian sighed and rubbed the tips of his gloved fingers against his temple. Sebastian's bloody arm instantly caught Ciel's eye.

"Look at yourself! You got hurt!" Ciel scolded. Sebastian smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

"It does not hurt. It was merely a bullet made by human hands," Sebastian commented uncaringly. Ciel shook his head and shifted off of the bed. He turned around and narrowed his eyes at Sebastian.

"Do not move. I will be right back," he said with a warning tone. The demon blinked before an amused smile formed on his face. Ciel marched to the door and threw it open. He walked into the bathroom and felt around for a washcloth. When he found one, he walked over to the sink and ran some cold water over it. He then retrieved a second washcloth and walked back into the room. Sebastian was sitting on the edge of the bed at the moment. Ciel moved to stand directly in front of him.

"Take off your jacket and shirt," he demanded. Sebastian blinked before sighing.

"Ciel…"

"Do it now demon!" Ciel said harshly. Sebastian frowned at his butler's disrespect but reluctantly did so. When his master's top half was completely exposed, Ciel reached for his arm. He gently pulled it towards him and examined it closely. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. The damage to his master's arm was not as bad as he had thought. He waved his hands in a motion to get Sebastian to scoot over. Once he did so, Ciel crawled onto the bed. He used the wet washcloth and began wiping off the dried blood on the pale man's arm. Sebastian watched intently as Ciel attempted to heal him in the human way. Ciel was focused completely on the wound in front of him.

"You seem to be fitting into your role quite nicely…" Sebastian commented off-handedly. Ciel said nothing and continued to clean his master's wound for a few minutes.

"Honestly, just because you are immortal does not mean you are invincible," Ciel muttered as he dried off the now wet wound with the other washcloth. Sebastian smirked at his servant.

"You seem more surprised by this flesh wound than I," he commented with a hint of mockery. Ciel's eyes narrowed at the true statement.

"Still, you need to take better care of yourself," he scolded. Sebastian blinked as Ciel moved to tear a piece of the bed sheet. He leaned down to whisper in the smaller male's ear.

"I prefer having you take care of me instead," he whispered huskily. Ciel's face reddened slightly as he swatted the older male away from him. He growled and ripped the section of the sheet. He grabbed the dry washcloth and pressed it to the wound. With his other hand, he grabbed the piece of ripped sheet and used it to wrap around the washcloth. He tied the sheet into a knot. He pulled it tight, but not tight enough to stop the blood flow. He leaned back and nodded once.

"There…that should do for now," he said with finality. Sebastian's eyes softened at his butler. He leaned towards the boy to give him a kiss for his work, but Ciel put his head down.

"You still have not answered any of my questions master," he pointed out. He still kept his head down. Sebastian sighed and moved to put on his discarded clothing.

"I will tell you everything later," he promised.

When he was fully dressed, including his tie, he got up from the bed. Ciel gasped when he was scooped up into his master's arms like a princess.

"W-What are you doing?" Ciel asked, shocked by the sudden change of positions. Sebastian said nothing and moved to the door. He placed his ear to the wood and listened for the presence of anything living. When he sensed nothing, he cautiously opened the door. Ciel remained quiet as his master carried him down the hall. After a few minutes of silent walking, Sebastian turned to a door. He opened the knob and revealed a closet.

Ciel looked up at Sebastian with a question in his eyes. Sebastian gently placed Ciel into the closet. Ciel looked at his master with shock. "Why are you putting me in here? There's no way we can both fit in here…" he pointed out. Sebastian smiled.

"It has enough room for one. That one is you," he said simply. Ciel blinked.

"Hah?" he asked, clearly confused. A flash of genius tore through his mind. "You're leaving me in here? Where are you going?" he asked quickly. Sebastian transferred more of his power through the contract to soothe the child.

"I am merely going to the source of all of this trouble. I will come back for you when I can," Sebastian promised. Ciel shook his head.

"No way, I'm coming with you," he said stubbornly. Sebastian sighed; he could feel a headache coming on.

"Ciel, you are going to stay right here in this closet," Sebastian commanded. Ciel frowned and defiantly crossed his arms over his chest.

"No way in hell! After all I've been through this evening? I would like to know who's behind all of this as well. I'm coming with you!"

"You are not coming with me…" Sebastian said with a warning tone.

"Yes, I am," Ciel instantly shot back. Sebastian growled at his pet's stubbornness.

"No, you're not," he hissed.

"I am coming with you master," Ciel stated defiantly. A deadly silence formed between the master and servant.

Ciel's eyes slowly widened in shock. Sebastian froze at the sound of the release of the safety on a gun as the cold metal was pressed into the back of his head.

"Actually, I believe you both will be coming with me," a cold voice stated.

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**J-C: DUN DUN DUN! Cliff hanger! ^0^**

**~Sasuke~ You are a terrible person J-C...**

**J-C: WAH? Why? T_T**

******Naruto: You now have 100+ reviews (110 reviews to be exact), and you pay back all of your reviewers and readers with a cliff hanger?**

**J-C: Oh well...it's not my fault! I was going to originally continue from there, but then I realized this chapter was getting really long, and I didn't want to burn out my readers minds...**

******Naruto: Suuuuuure J-C...**

**~Sasuke~ Thaaaaaat's why...**

**J-C: Whatever...however, I do apologize for leaving you guys with a cliffie *laughs evilly* It just seemed like a good place to stop... I promise the next chapter won't end with a cliff hanger! ^-^ I just hope I didn't lose my readers because of this...**

**~Sasuke~ You probably did...**

**J-C: You know what? Why don't you and Naruto go to your own little corner and have happy time together?**

**~Sasuke~ *shrugs***

******Naruto: *grins* Sounds like a plan! *leaves with Sasuke to go to own little corner and proceeds to have happy time together***

**J-C: Okay, now that they are finally off of my back, it is time for my customary asking of reviews! ^0^ Lolz, seriously you guys. I'm so touched by the amount of reviews I have so far and yet I am once again asking for more! I love hearing your thoughts and feelings for the characters, the overall story, and even *sniffs tearfully* me! Lolz, tell me what you guys think now that the plot has started off with a...bang! *kills self for lameness of pun* ;D Anyhoo, thanks everybody for your support of this story so far, and I will (hopefully) see you all again with another update next week! ^-^**

**Ja ne for now! ^-^**

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kat716: **Lolz, aww! I'm sorry! I feel the same way when I have to end my chapters. Sometimes I just feel like continuing the story until the very end, but then it would be a really really really long oneshot...;D But it pleases me greatly to hear that you liked my story that much! ^-^ Thanks for asking for an update that won't kill me...heh heh. I swear, I will do my best to live to write another chapter! ^-^ Thanks for your compliment on my writing and for reviewing this story! You're so koolio for doing so! ^0^**

Zozo-Chan: ***sweatdrops* Sorry about that...sometimes I get carried away when I write. I don't think Chapter 6 is any shorter either...sorry again! But anyway, I'm glad that you still liked the chapter! I will definitely make sure to update more often in the future! Now that it's summertime, I have tons of time on my hands (even though my parents are pushing for me to get a job so that free time may be cut down very soon). I will also attempt to make my chapters shorter in the near future! Thanks for taking the time to review and leave your suggestions/thoughts! ^-^**

Kuro Neko-chan: **Oh god is right! Lolz, you might want to watch your back or he might sneak up on you *laughs*. Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for reviewing again! Your kind words really made my day! Lolz, holy snap my "disease" is gonna be referenced! Haha, tell me how that goes for you! ;D And I totally agree with you; I couldn't imagine being Ciel either! Weird, because one of my friends thinks I act like him... O.O But seriously, thanks for liking the chapter and story so much! It's a huge relief that all the characters are IC. And you're welcome! I'm glad that my compliment could make you happy, lolz! Thanks again! ^0^**

Zhisaku: **Thanks so much! It makes me really happy to hear so many people say that the characters are IC. I'm working really hard to keep them that way for as long as possible! It's also great to hear that you got a few laughs from this chapter as well! I never imagined that I could be funny when it comes to writing...I had tons of fun writing that scene! I find it highly amusing when people try to fight off pervs. I do that a lot with one of my friends...XD I will definitely keep going! I finally found my groove with this story and now that I have time, updates will come at a much faster rate! ^-^ Thanks again for your kind words and encouragement! ^0^**

lilly: **Thank you! ^0^ I'm glad you liked the chapter that much! I was worried that some people might find it to be a tad boring, so it's a huge relief to hear that you didn't think so and that you actually enjoyed what you read! I hope you like the next chapter just as much as you liked Chapter 5! ^-^ Thanks for your review. It's much appreciated! ^0^**

Random Person: **SIR YES SIR! Lolz, Sebastian will definitely be giving Ciel tons of orders as this story progresses. As for Sebby disappearing, we will just have to see about that. ;D As for Ciel, you never know...he is quite resistant...he has plenty of fight left in him, lolz! But I'm glad you find the role reversal to be so entertaining and hilarious! Makes me uber happy and relieved at the same time! There will also be more "interactions" as this story continues *smirks*. Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for your awesome review! So, thank you! ^-^**


	7. The Compromise

**J-C: *puts on a pair of shades before jumping up and down excitedly* HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SUMMER EVERYBODY! ^0^**

**~Sasuke~ *fans self* I hate summer...even though I was born in July...**

**J-C: Lolz, I love summer! Which is slightly weird considering that I was born in the winter...maybe Naruto can help cool you off Sasuke...**

******Naruto: *gets a bag of ice and begins taking out ice cubes* You have noooo idea J-C...**

**~Sasuke~ No way in heck...back away hormonal dobe...**

******Naruto: I can't control myself Sasuke...it's just sooo hot...just like you! *moves to grab Sasuke***

**~Sasuke~ *avoids contact* Forget this...I'm outta here J-C...I'll see you guys at the bottom of this chapter... *poofs away***

******Naruto: Awww...:(**

**J-C: *pats Naruto's head awkwardly* Anyway, I decided to celebrate the first day of summer (according to the calendar) with an update for the amazingly popular One Hell of a Master! See, I told you guys I would provide an update every week! ^-^ But I am seriously shocked by the amount of reviews Chapter 6 got! It was my most reviewed chapter yet! Thanks so much for your guys' support! ^0^ It means tons to me, seriously...It took me nearly three hours to respond to everybody's reviews (I know, I'm really slow. I started at 4:30 and it's now 7:28 ^-^')...so thank you guys sooooo much! I had a lot of anonymous reviewers this time, so I hope you guys don't mind if I respond to your reviews at the bottom of this chapter! Anyhoo, I also wanted to take the time to apologize for the cliffhanger...due to public opinion, I will not have another one of those in this story...for awhile. ^-^**

**Naruto: You are seriously evil J-C...are you sure the heat isn't warping your mind?**

**J-C: I'm fine Naruto...now, hows about we start this chapter so I can put everyone's feelings of suspense and anxiety from the last chapter to rest?**

******Naruto: After introducing your Disclaimer and Warnings, right?**

**J-C: Right...don't those guys ever take a vacation?**

******Disclaimer: Even though it's the start of a new season, the fact has not changed that I still don't own Kuroshitsuji...**

******Warnings: Violence (but not as much as the last chapter, I swear...but there is still blood and gore XD), Language, Gay slur (only one, but still I'm putting a warning for it...), and Sexual Situations/Themes (but nothing to hardcore this time...sorry guys ^-^').**

**J-C: To help make everyone's summer even better, I'm going to clear up confusion! Okay, so thoughts look like this (**_It's really hot!_**), regular dialogue and stuff looks like this (**Thank god for air conditioning!**), emphasized stuff either looks like this (Beach anyone?) or like this (_It's vacation time!_), sound FX lookey like this (SPLASH!), (XXX) stands for scene/time changes, and anything that has a number behind it (ex. **Barbecue (1)**) means that there is a little note about what it is because it isn't really common knowledge...I put the explanation at the end of the chapter so if you guys are interested, you can check them out at the bottom. Alright, now while I go and grab a glass of lemonade, you guys sit back and enjoy the 7th chapter of One Hell of a Master! ^0^**

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**Chapter 7: The Compromise**

A deadly silence formed among the three people. Not a single person breathed or spoke for a few moments. Ciel was shocked into silence, while Sebastian merely observed the situation.

_Hmmm…it seems as if I miscalculated my enemy's next move…I never would've thought he would be able to sneak up on me like that however. I didn't even feel his presence; perhaps he masked it with some weird human magic?_

"Now Sir Michaelis," the man said mockingly as he pressed the gun even harder into the back of Sebastian's head, "You will listen to everything I say, and you will follow all of my orders without question," the man stated. Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

"And if I do not?" he asked pleasantly. Ciel almost smacked the pale man in the face.

_How could he possibly ask such a stupid question at a time like this?_

The holder of the gun chuckled lowly before removing the weapon from the back of the demon's head. He pointed it at Ciel, whose breath instantly caught in his throat. "If you don't, I'll kill your butler," he said resolutely. Ciel glared at the cloaked man with pure hatred before exchanging a look with his master. Sebastian nodded as if the two men were merely making a business deal rather than bargaining over someone's life.

"Ah, well then I guess I have no choice but to follow your orders with no resistance whatsoever, correct?" Sebastian asked charmingly. The cloaked man growled before suddenly slamming the butt of the gun on the top of Sebastian's head. Ciel's master grunted with pain but made no other sound. Ciel's eyes widened as blood began matting down the hair where he had just been hit.

"Don't mock me Michaelis. Now, put your hands up and ease real slowly out of that closet. You too boy…now!" he barked. Sebastian's bloody orbs locked with Ciel's visible crystal blue orb before Sebastian slowly raised his hands. Ciel mirrored the demon's movements and slowly scooted forward as the raven-haired man moved back. They moved at a snail's pace out of the closet, but both of their minds were racing. Sebastian was once again analyzing the situation, while Ciel was wondering how in the world they were both going to get out of this alive. When they were both on their feet, the nameless man cocked his gun at Ciel's face.

"I want you both to stand right in front of me…and keep your hands up! Don't move until I tell you to or else," he finished threateningly. Sebastian inwardly sighed before moving to stand next to his servant. They stood that way for a moment before Sebastian felt hands roaming over his body.

_Ah, he must be checking for weapons on me…how naïve of him…_

After the demon was patted down, the man moved to Ciel. The boy stiffened visibly when their apprehender's hands first touched his body. The cloaked male noticed this and purposely took his time with Ciel. He leaned down to whisper into the uncomfortable child's ear.

"Is your body still sensitive from being fucked only moments ago? Huh, little fag," the man whispered mockingly. The dark-haired child bristled at the comment and clenched his teeth as the man took unnecessarily long to feel his butt area. Finally, the man backed away from Ciel. The child glared at the hall in front of him as he mentally thought of all the ways to torture and slowly kill that man. Sebastian smirked before mentally running through his plan a few more times. Everything had to go smoothly if he wished to complete both of his goals. His recheck of his plan was violently cut through as he was kicked in the back of his knees. He didn't fall; his knees merely bent slightly forward before he stood straight again.

The kicker of Sebastian looked questioningly at his prisoner before waving it off. "Get moving you two. We're going on a little field trip to the cellar," he said in a mockingly pleasant tone. Ciel blinked at the location before slowly moving forward. The trio made their way through the destroyed halls of Sebastian's manor. The demon shook his head at the damage.

_Honestly, must those four really go all out and destroy everything in their path at the same time?_

Ciel glanced over at his master and winced at the sight of a trail of blood coursing down the side of his emotionless face. The head wound was still bleeding; yet, Sebastian showed no signs of physical pain or agony. The demon felt eyes staring at the side of his head, and he turned his head to see Ciel staring at him. The boy quickly looked away.

"Do not worry my pet. This is merely a scratch to me…I don't even feel it anymore," Sebastian whispered reassuringly. Ciel rolled his eyes.

"Leave it to you to be a masochist…" Ciel mumbled with annoyance. Sebastian smirked at his servant's remark before he focused his attention on the man who was holding them captive.

"It seems as if he has no problems with us conversing with one another," Sebastian commented off-handedly. The man grunted at the demon's statement before tightening his hold on the gun in his hand.

"Yeah, just as long as you two don't plan any funny stuff…" he said in a warning tone. Ciel blinked as they turned right. He looked towards Sebastian before biting his lip, keeping his silent question to himself.

"So tell me kind sir. What be the name of the gentleman who has captured both my butler and I?" Sebastian asked kindly. The man growled before shrugging his shoulders; he was just going to kill them anyway. What would be the harm in a dead man knowing his name?

"Abraham Williamson," he answered formally. The demon nodded, keeping that name in his memory. He glanced at Ciel before looking at the direction they were heading towards. Ciel was walking on his right; their captor was directly behind the boy. If Sebastian timed this just right, he would have one of his goals accomplished for the night. They made another right and continued to walk silently. Ciel was really beginning to worry now; they were going in the opposite direction of the cellar. Not only that, Sebastian's head wound was looking worse by the minute. Every now and then, a drop of blood would drip off the edge of the demon's jawbone and land on the floor. A trail of the red liquid was beginning to form behind the threesome, and Ciel noted with mounting anxiety that the time between each time the blood dripped was lessening.

_If we do not stop soon, Sebastian will most likely pass out from blood loss. As I said before, he may be immortal, but he is not invincible!_

Ciel turned around to face their attacker with a completely nonthreatening facial expression. "Pardon this request Mr. Williamson, but do you think it would be alright if I tended to my master's wound? His blood is ruining the floor…" Ciel trailed off as the man snorted at his request.

"As if I care about the floors…or your master for that matter! Let that dog bleed," he said hatefully. Ciel sighed and turned to face front again. Well, since they most likely were going to die, Ciel might as well ask Sebastian about this whole "dog" name thing now.

"Master, why is everyone calling you a dog? How exactly are you related to the Queen?" he asked in a low whisper. Sebastian blinked at the question before silently making a left. They were now only a few minutes away from reaching the reception hall and the entrance to Sebastian's home. His crimson eyes looked down at his servant before he smiled mysteriously.

"Did I not already answer those questions? I will tell you after this is all over," Sebastian answered patiently. Ciel growled and resisted the urge to make Sebastian's head wound even worse.

"You can't be serious! We are about to be killed…there isn't going to be a later time!" he hissed angrily. Sebastian chuckled and slightly increased his pace. Ciel matched his master's movements. "I always knew you were suicidal. But just because you want to die doesn't mean that I want…"

"Who said we were going to die?" Sebastian asked slyly. Ciel blinked, slightly taken aback before jerking his head back towards the man who still had his gun pointed at the back of Ciel's head.

"Oh, I don't know…just a hunch I guess," Ciel said with sarcasm. Sebastian laughed quietly, and the boy's eyes narrowed at the older man's behavior. "Are you seriously **laughing**?" Ciel asked with disbelief. The immortal being shook his head as they emerged on the second floor of the reception hall. A long flight of marble steps led to the first floor, which was completely immersed in darkness. Sebastian looked off to the side for a moment before looking down at his disgruntled servant.

"**We** are not going to die…" he said slowly. Ciel blinked as Sebastian locked eyes with him. The man also noticed Sebastian's odd behavior and tightened his grip even more on the gun. The demon looked back at their attacker for a moment before once again locking eyes with his servant. Ciel watched as Sebastian's trademark smirk slowly spread on his face.

"**You** are," he said with finality. And before Ciel could even cry out, Sebastian used all his force to push Ciel. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion to the shocked child. He watched as the bullet went flying out of the tip of the gun. His eyes followed Sebastian as he ducked out of the way of the metal weapon. The man's eyes widened comically as his mouth mouthed something unintelligible. Abraham turned to shout something at Sebastian, who merely smiled before turning to look at Ciel. He flashed him one more smile, and then reality hit Ciel.

Hard.

Ciel's whole body smashed onto the first step of the long staircase. With a shocked cry, Ciel tumbled down the marble steps for what felt like an eternity, but could've only been a few seconds. His whole body felt as if it were being broken apart. He was being banged and bruised in all directions and parts of his young body. It felt as if his fall would continue endlessly. Finally, Ciel's descent ended. The side of his head hit the marble floor with a resounding crack. The boy's whole world spun and millions of black spots filled his vision before his whole world slowly sunk to black.

_Damn that demon…_

**XXX**

**CRACK!**

Sebastian released a puff of air before turning to face his shocked captor. Abraham looked down at where the child butler had just violently fallen before turning to look at Sebastian. The demon cocked his head to the side as he kept his arms in the air.

"Are you insane?" Abraham shouted out. Sebastian smiled charmingly.

"Not in the slightest. I was merely getting rid of dead weight. He was going to be killed either way, right?" Sebastian asked coyly. The cloaked man blinked, shocked, before turning to face the steps. He cringed at the sight of the specks of blood that dotted a few of the steps. He couldn't see further down the steps; it was too dark on the first floor.

"Are you saying that you just killed your butler?" Abraham asked. When Sebastian didn't respond, the gun-holding man moved to walk down the steps to see for himself.

"Now Mr. Williamson, what would be the point of checking on someone that has absolutely nothing to do with your assault on my home? I'm the one you wished to apprehend in the first place, correct?" Sebastian asked calmly. Abraham jerked to a stop at the other man's voice before he turned slowly to him with a smirk. Sebastian was no longer facing him; he was looking down the hall with his back to the man. "Now, shall we continue on our way to the cellar…Abraham?" Sebastian asked after a moment. Abraham glanced down the stairs one last time before slyly smiling.

"Of course Master Michaelis; please, do lead the way," he said in a mocking tone. Sebastian nodded before continuing down the hall that was full of Abraham's fallen comrades. Abraham pretended not to notice as the duo stepped over several broken bodies. He ignored the stench of blood and gore that filled the death-filled hall, and he pushed the thought out of his mind as he heard a pain-filled groan followed by the sound of vomiting.

Sebastian didn't particularly notice his surroundings. He was too focused on the second stage of his plan. Now that it was just him and the leader, he could finally ask the questions he needed to about the invasion and the deal he had broken. If he played his cards right, he just might be able to avoid getting seriously injured while simultaneously gaining all the information he needed.

The thinking demon led Abraham down a side-stairwell, and the duo descended to the first floor. They walked past the laundry room where only a few hours ago, a certain butler had snuck back into the manor from a secret nap. The two men silently walked through the entrance where a door had once hung. It appeared as if it had been blasted away due to the scorch marks on the surrounding walls. They made their way through the trashed kitchen. Abraham silently cursed as his robe was ripped from a piece of jutting metal from what looked like a part from a destroyed stove.

Sebastian and Abraham ducked under the top half of the door. Sebastian's eyes silently took in the damage of where the servants had been eating. It appeared as if they had moved from this area with haste. The cups were knocked over, and one of them was still dripping cider. One of the plates was cracked, and all of the silverware, minus the spoons, was missing. Sebastian smirked at that particular detail. His servants truly were resourceful…when it came to fighting anyway. The paler man led Abraham to the corner of the room, where a brown trapdoor was visible. He moved to lean down and waited for the man holding him hostage to tell him not to move. When he was met with no objection, Sebastian grabbed the handle of the door and wrenched the door open. He turned to Abraham with a smile.

"I apologize for the difficulty of getting to the cellar this way. But I believe the main entrance has been destroyed," Sebastian commented. Abraham snorted before kicking Sebastian in the side of the head.

"Whatever dog; just get down in the cellar already before I kick you in there," he ordered harshly. Sebastian sighed and wiped the dirt from Abraham's shoe off the side of his face. He slowly climbed down into the cellar. "Make sure to turn on all the lights before I go down there dog!" Sebastian's captor commanded. Sebastian rolled his eyes and lit the candles in the cellar without a match. When the light from the candles appeared in the opening, Abraham climbed down into the cellar. He didn't bother to close the hatch; what would be the point? It wasn't like anyone was going to follow them down there.

When Abraham got to the bottom, he was slightly surprised to see Sebastian sitting on a wooden box in the center of the room. "Well, planning to die in comfort?" Abraham asked triumphantly. Sebastian smirked before crossing his legs.

"It never hurts to be comfortable," Sebastian remarked. Abraham scowled before moving to stand behind the sitting master. The demon made no movement or sound as he heard the revolver of the gun turning.

"I do, however, have a few questions I would like to ask. Would you be so kind as to answer a dying man's last requests?" Sebastian cut in politely. Abraham blinked and clicked his teeth, signaling Sebastian to continue.

"How exactly did you find out that I had broken the contract?" he asked right away. The man shrugged his shoulders.

"Surveillance of course. It was one of the terms you agreed with when you made your deal with us…" Abraham commented uncaringly. Sebastian nodded; he had been expecting such.

"So how were you able to mount such a large-scale attack against my manor? No offense to you Abraham, but I do not believe you have the skills necessary to command such a large number of men," the demon continued. Abraham frowned at the insult but ignored it. Let the dying guy get some hits in at the end; he wasn't going to be the one lying in a pool of his own blood in a few minutes.

"Our leader led us of course. I am merely the commander of this operation. He's the one who controls our movements," Abraham said with a hint of adoration. Sebastian allowed for the new information to soak in before straightening out.

"Who is this man? It would be an honor if I could know the name of the man who was able to take down a deal-breaking dog like myself," Sebastian asked with his own hint of "adoration". Abraham fully grinned, and Sebastian could feel the man's pride spike.

"**He** is the leader of the greatest organization on Earth. You would know if you served Him instead of the Queen," he answered. Sebastian waited patiently, even though he had an idea of who this man truly worked for. "The head priest of St. Mary's Cathedral in London, Father Gregory," Abraham proclaimed proudly. Sebastian cocked an eyebrow at the man's name and inwardly nodded to himself.

_I should have known…must I always make deals with people in high religious positions? Really now…I need to start learning from past mistakes…_

"Father Gregory you say? Ah yes, I do recall that he is a rather…outspoken man towards Queen Victoria…" Sebastian said thoughtfully. Abraham nodded; then, he realized Sebastian couldn't see him nodding.

"You got that right! And he has every right to be. That bitch and her reformations…completely unnecessary! All she cares about is her dead husband anyway; she's a complete lunatic! Anyone who willingly works for her should be killed," Abraham spat bitterly. He cocked his gun at the back of Sebastian's head and applied pressure. Sebastian closed his eyes as he felt the cold metal press into his skull; this was going to hurt like a bitch.

"One final question, and then you may kill me," Sebastian blurted out with a "desperate" tone. Abraham sighed. "What part of the deal did I break? I really would like to know why my home has been destroyed and why my life is about to be cut short…." Sebastian asked. The cloaked man smirked at Sebastian's question as his finger slowly moved back on the trigger.

"Oh, now that's an easy question. It's because you made a contract during Father Gregory's lifetime. You know that in the deal, you swore not to bind a soul to you while Father Gregory was still living. When we spied on your home, we spotted your butler. We knew that he wasn't a normal servant; no one would take on a child as a butler. Father Gregory put two and two together and realized that you had broken your part of the deal. Therefore, you are subjected to death. Now, die!" Abraham shouted out.

**BLAM!**

Sebastian waited for pain of some sort. When nothing happened, he wondered if Abraham had missed. He then heard the sound of someone panting, as if they had been running for hours without rest.

**THUD!**

Sebastian's ears perked up at the sound of a body hitting the stone floor. He slowly turned around.

Ciel glared at Sebastian before gradually lowering the still smoking pistol. Blood was running from the side and front of his head from where he had bashed his skull into the marble stairs. His head was spinning, his vision was swimming, and he felt as if he was going to throw up at any moment. He swayed unsteadily before leaning on the side of the open doorway for support.

"Now...can you, hah, tell…me?" Ciel asked in his best demanding tone. Sebastian, honestly shocked at the sight of the child, looked down on the floor to find Abraham lying dead in a pool of his own blood. Sebastian saw the hole located right in the center of the dead man's skull. It was a perfect shot; it instantly killed him. The demon looked up from the dead body to look at his pet. Ciel's face was pale, probably from the blood loss he was experiencing. His clothes were dirty and torn in some places, and there were several bruises and scratches on various parts of his body. His hair was matted down with a blood-sweat mixture.

Ciel **really** looked like crap.

Sebastian hadn't been expecting to see him. He had calculated that the force of his push would be enough to knock Ciel out for at least six hours. To see him standing in the doorway to the cellar was a somewhat pleasant surprise.

_Well, __**this**__ pet never ceases to amaze me._

Ciel swallowed unsteadily as he resisted the urge to vomit. That definitely would not go over to well with Sebastian. He slowly pushed himself away from the door and gingerly walked down the three stone steps to the main floor of the cellar.

"My my, this is quite a surprise. How were you able to get here so fast?" Sebastian asked with curiosity. Ciel swayed slightly before attempting to steady himself on a wine barrel.

"I…walked…ugh, shit…" Ciel said as his only warning before upchucking for the second time in one night all over the floor. Sebastian sighed before gracefully moving from his position on the box.

_Just as I suspected; Ciel has a commotion (1). Well, it's amazing that that is the only thing he has…I did push him quite hard._

"Ciel…"

"D-Don't touch me…hah, I'm fine…" Ciel mumbled out before nearly falling into the puddle of vomit. Sebastian shook his head and walked towards his injured pet.

"I don't think bleeding from the head and vomiting all over the floor constitutes as being fine," Sebastian pointed out. Ciel growled and winced as a sharp pain split his head. The room was starting to get dark again, but the boy refused to pass out. Sebastian carefully stepped around the puddle of vomit and gently placed a hand around Ciel's shoulder. The butler flinched at the touch and weakly slapped his master's hand away.

"I…can walk…on my own…" Ciel trailed off as he fell face forward onto Sebastian during a particularly dizzy spell. Sebastian sighed before scooping the injured boy into his arms. He gently cradled the child's head against him as he slowly walked out of the cellar.

"P-Put me down," Ciel weakly protested. "I'm fine…I'm just a little tired is all…" he continued softly before closing his eyes. He really wished that everything around him would stop spinning. He feebly struggled in his master's hold. Sebastian smirked as they continued at their leisurely pace through the halls. Noticing that Ciel was still carrying the gun in one of his hands, Sebastian gently plucked it out of his hand and placed it on the top of an end table.

"Bastard…I was going to use that," Ciel remarked angrily. Sebastian chuckled, and Ciel cracked open his unmarked eye. "I'm serious…" he stated in a stronger tone of voice.

"Who were you going to use it on? Me?" Sebastian asked jokingly. Ciel nodded and regretted doing so.

"Yeah…if you didn't answer…any of my questions," Ciel explained as he closed his eye again. Sebastian shook his head as he walked through the damaged corridors of his manor.

"I will keep my end of the bargain. Thanks to you, this invasion is over. All of your questions will be answered. But I suggest you allow me to treat you first. You would like to be conscious when I provide my answers wouldn't you? Or would you rather faint again?" Sebastian asked with a smile. Ciel scowled.

"I should've shot you in the back of the head instead," he mumbled with irritation.

**XXX**

"OW! That hurts!" Ciel cried out. Sebastian frowned with irritation. Ciel glared at Sebastian, placing all of his hatred in this one glare. It was this guy's fault that he had hit his head in the first place.

_No freakin' warning either! I swear this guy gets off on causing me pain…_

"Be patient my pet. I just need to wrap this bandage around your head one more time," Sebastian stated. Ciel rolled his eyes and resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at the demon. He crossed his arms over his chest and swung his legs back and forth impatiently. He was currently sitting on the edge of Sebastian's desk in his now well-lit study. Sebastian had been so kind as to clean Ciel's wounds and the blood from the cuts. He had felt on the boy's crown to make sure his skull hadn't been cracked again. Surprisingly, it wasn't. There were just a few bumps and bruises. He was currently wrapping Ciel's banged up head with some extra cloth he had laying around.

Ciel looked at Sebastian's face and noted that there was dried blood on the side of his face. He was slightly relieved to see there was no more fresh blood running down the side.

_Perhaps he has the ability to instantly heal himself…intriguing…perhaps I should ask about that as well._

Ciel winced when he felt the cloth being tightened around his head. Sebastian got out a safety pin and stuck the pointy end through all the layers of the cloth before snapping it shut. "There, now I am finished," he announced. Ciel instantly hopped off of the table and steadied himself as the room began spinning again. When everything returned to being stationary again, Ciel turned to face Sebastian.

"Now, will you answer my questions?" Ciel asked impatiently. Sebastian rubbed his temples with the tips of his gloved fingers and nodded tiredly before moving to take a seat in his chair. He leaned back in the comfortable seat and stared pointedly at his insistent butler.

"You may ask whatever you want," he said graciously. Ciel crossed his arms over his chest and looked directly in Sebastian's eyes.

"You're not just a lord with a business, are you?" Ciel asked. Sebastian shook his head. "Then, what are you really?" Ciel pressed. Sebastian closed his eyes for a moment before leaning down to open one of his desk drawers. Ciel waited patiently as his master rummaged around for a few seconds. He straightened himself out and held up an already opened envelope with a seal on the back.

"Do you know who that seal belongs to?" Sebastian asked as he pointed to the symbol. The butler moved closer in order to get a better look. The seal looked very familiar; he had sworn he had seen it before in a book Tanaka had made him read. He blinked with recognition.

"That's the royal seal," he said. Sebastian nodded as he set the envelope down on the table.

"You are correct my pet. It is true that I do own a company that is doing quite well in the world market…on the surface world," Sebastian began slowly. Ciel blinked with slight confusion.

"The surface world?" he asked unsurely. Sebastian tiredly smiled before holding up one of his gloved hands. He held up two of his fingers as he began his explanation to his servant.

"There are two worlds; the surface world and the underworld. Now, I am not literally talking about the human's world and the demon's world. This is solely among humans. On the surface world, I am known as Earl Michaelis, owner of the wildly successful Funtom Company. But, in the underworld, I am affectionately known as the Dark Lord Michaelis, the Queen's Watchdog. Even though I would rather have a different nickname…something more feline…I absolutely despise dogs," Sebastian finished with a distasteful tone. Ciel remained silent for a moment as his brain soaked up all the new information Sebastian had just given him.

"But what does the Queen have to do with this surface and underworld business? What are the differences between the two?" Ciel inquired.

"In a sense, I am like the bridge between the two worlds. I secretly work for the Queen; no one on the surface world knows that. Whenever there are things that occur on the surface world that trouble the Queen, it is my job as her faithful servant to discover the root cause. Sometimes, the cause originates from the surface world. But the majority of the time, it comes from the underworld. Once I find out what is causing a disturbance in the two worlds, I must find a way to…fix it. Now, the differences between the two are not too obvious to a normal person. In a way, they really are the same. The only difference is there are usually…darker forces behind what happens from the underworld than from the surface world. All in all, any problem that causes Her Highness to feel upset is to be fixed by me. I am constantly on watch in both worlds, waiting and willing to do the Queen's bidding in order to ensure her happiness. It is sometimes overwhelming for just one person, but I am willing to do it alone to keep Her Highness satisfied," Sebastian said with a hint of pride. Ciel smirked as a thought popped into his head.

"So in a way, you are kind of like the Queen's lackey," the butler commented smartly. Sebastian blinked before shrugging his shoulders.

"For lack of a better term, I guess you could say that…" Sebastian said uncaringly. A silence settled between the two males as Ciel thought of his next question.

_Well that explains the whole Queen's watchdog thing. It's understandable as to why those men treated him so terribly. In a way, he is like a babysitter of the people of England. The invaders tonight must have been from the underworld…they seemed pretty "dark" to me. But if Sebastian is loyal and devoted to Her Highness, then why did he have a deal with those guys? You would think he would be the type to break such deals between people from the surface world and the underworld, not make them._

"I still don't understand Master. If you work secretly for the Queen, then why did you make a deal with those guys?" Ciel asked. Sebastian turned the chair to face out the window. He remained quiet for a few minutes before turning back to his perplexed pet.

"It is a long story, so I will shorten it for the sake of time. The leader of those men somehow discovered my true nature. Being the man that he is, he threatened to reveal my secret to both worlds and the Queen. Of course, I could not allow that to happen. I went to confront him, and sometime during the confrontation, we made a deal. I agreed not to make any "contracts" during his lifetime, and in exchange, he agreed not to tell my secret. I had to accept some form of surveillance so he could see if I upheld my end of the bargain," Sebastian stated.

"So when they were talking about you breaking the deal, it was because of…the contract you have with me?" Ciel inquired. Sebastian nodded, and Ciel bit his lip.

_This whole situation is my fault. If I had just found a way to break the contract between Sebastian and me, none of this ever would've happened. He wouldn't have been injured protecting me, I wouldn't have killed two men tonight, the manor wouldn't have been destroyed, and the others…they wouldn't have had to fight like they did. I really hope they haven't injured themselves…even though they are annoying sometimes, I do not think I could live with myself if they got hurt because of me. Even though my master is a demon, I feel like I'm the evil and corrupted being…_

"Do not blame yourself for the incident tonight. Things like this happen all the time," Sebastian commented suddenly. Ciel looked at the demon with disbelief.

"What do you mean, "All the time"?" Ciel asked slowly. Sebastian smiled mischievously.

"Well, I am immortal; I've made many deals in my lifetime…I have trouble remembering exactly what deals I've made, and who I've made them with. This manor gets attacked quite frequently. The other four know this and are always prepared when something like this happens; however, it is quite troublesome when things like this happen," Sebastian said thoughtfully. Ciel growled at his master; all feelings of guilt and sympathy for the male disappeared in a millisecond.

"Remember who you freakin' make deals with then!" Ciel scolded angrily. Sebastian shrugged again before running a hand through his hair. He slightly winced as his hand touched the wound from where the butt of the gun had hit him. Ciel's sharp eye caught the movement, and he sighed. Sebastian blinked when his butler began walking towards him. Ciel grabbed for some of the loose cloth on the desk. He walked around the desk and stood in front of the slightly perplexed man. Ciel leaned over and gently pressed the cloth to the top of Sebastian's head.

"Honestly, you should really stop provoking people…you're going to get yourself killed one of these days," Ciel reprimanded. Sebastian said nothing as Ciel patted the wound. He drew away with the cloth for a second and clicked his teeth. The wound was still bleeding; Ciel needed to patch it up so the bleeding could stop.

"I will return shortly Master," Ciel stated politely before leaving Sebastian's study. Sebastian remained quiet; he was truly shocked by the child's sudden show of kindness.

_How can he go from wanting to slap me to tending to my wounds? He really is a strange one…_

Ciel entered the room about two minutes later. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at the sight of several more pieces of ripped cloth, a wet washcloth, and a bottle of Witch Hazel (2). The boy said nothing as he moved to stand in front of Sebastian again.

"Please turn the chair to fully face me Master. It will make my job a lot easier," Ciel requested. The demon silently turned his chair so he was facing his butler. Ciel stepped a tad closer and placed all of the materials except for the wet washcloth on the corner of the desk. He leaned forward and began to wipe Sebastian's head wound. The cold water slightly shocked the demon but he made no visible movement to express his surprise. As Ciel cleaned the injury, Sebastian glanced up at him. Despite having a concussion, Ciel looked ten times better than he had about an hour ago. His left eye was clear and focused, and the color had once again returned his face. His movements were steady and concise; Sebastian never once felt him tremble or pause.

"Perhaps I will follow your advice," Sebastian said randomly. Ciel said nothing as he finished cleaning his master's wound. He placed the dirtied washcloth on the table and reached for the cloth and bottle of Witch Hazel. Ciel put a few drops of Witch Hazel on the strip of cloth and turned to look at his master.

"This should help stop the bleeding. It is going to burn a little once I apply it," Ciel explained. Sebastian nodded, and the child butler tenderly placed the cloth on top of the wound. He pressed down slightly on the cloth before moving away. He released a puff of air before reaching for the wet washcloth. Ciel began to scrub off the dried blood on the side of his master's face.

"I am going to turn over a new leaf. If I ever make a deal with someone again, I will actually make sure to remember it…and follow it as well," Sebastian promised. Ciel snorted as he continued to wash Sebastian.

"Wonderful…that's what you should have been doing in the first place! Now, stop talking. I cannot clean your jaw area if it keeps moving up and down," Ciel said with irritation. A thought popped in the demon's head at Ciel's words.

"There really is only one effective way to make me stop talking," Sebastian said mysteriously. Ciel paused for a second and locked eyes with the immortal being.

"Really? Well, I would love to know how so you can **stop talking**," Ciel responded with annoyance. Sebastian smirked™.

"All it takes is a kiss…"

"Well, will you look at that? I finished cleaning your jaw even **with** your constant jabber. If you will excuse me…" Ciel said hurriedly as he moved to make his escape. His plan was cut short as Sebastian grabbed onto his wrist. The child butler was pulled back towards Sebastian and somehow ended up straddling the older male's hips.

_Damn it…must I __**always**__ be stuck in these types of positions?_

Sebastian grabbed his pet's chin and forced him to look into his eyes. "Come now Ciel. It really wouldn't kill you to kiss me, now would it?" Sebastian asked innocently. Ciel narrowed his eyes at the pale being.

"No, but a punch to your mouth would break a few of your teeth, now wouldn't it?" Ciel snapped back. Sebastian chuckled at the boy's stubbornness.

"Do you really hate me that much Ciel? I have been nothing but kind to you since you arrived here," Sebastian stated. Ciel frowned.

"Sure…if you don't count the hundreds of times you have attempted and actually molested me. If you don't count those times, then yes, you have been very kind Master," Ciel responded sarcastically.

"But my **pet** that is part of your job. I, as your master, am merely reminding you of your duties to me," Sebastian pointed out. The butler growled before wrenching his wrist out of Sebastian's grip.

"Well, **I** want a new job! I never agreed to this contract in the first place! I think it is only fair if I get to choose which parts I honor and which I don't," Ciel argued. Sebastian chuckled, causing Ciel to only feel angrier.

"It is wonderful that you feel that way, but remember Ciel, life isn't fair. If there's one thing I've learned from working under the Queen, it is that there are some things in life that we will not want to do. Regardless, it is our duty to do them, no matter what," Sebastian stated. A tense silence formed between the two. Suddenly, an idea popped into Ciel's head.

"What if I found another job that could replace me being your pet that is just as difficult?" Ciel asked cautiously. Sebastian raised an eyebrow, showing that his interest had been piqued.

"Go on…"

"Instead of being your pet, what if I became your partner and assisted you with your missions for the Queen?" Ciel asked, doing his best to hide his excitement. Sebastian blinked, seriously taken aback by the boy's request.

"Are you serious?" Sebastian asked jokingly. Ciel placed both of his hands on Sebastian's shoulders and leaned forward. He was so close that his nose was nearly touching his master's.

"Definitely! You said so yourself Master; you sometimes get overwhelmed trying to fulfill Her Highnesses' requests. If I was your partner, I could really help you out. The workload would be so much easier, and you would definitely make the Queen happier at a quicker rate. Besides, it never hurts to have someone backing you up," Ciel added quickly. His eye was shining with enthusiasm and eagerness. The sudden change in the boy's normally emotionless eye pleased Sebastian. It was nice to see Ciel showing some sort of emotion besides anger for a change; he looked like a kid who had just received the best present on Christmas Day.

"Absolutely not," Sebastian responded tonelessly. Ciel's mouth dropped in surprise; Sebastian grabbed the boy by the hips and moved him off his lap. He adjusted his outfit before he began to walk towards the door.

"W-Why not?" Ciel asked.

"Because you are a child; this job is for adults only. It is much too dangerous for you, and it is also not one of the terms we agreed to in our contract," Sebastian said without turning back to look at Ciel. The dark-haired boy clenched his fists.

"**We** didn't agree to anything! Besides, it's not like I'm completely disregarding the contract! Is it not a butler's job to follow his master like a shadow at all times?" Ciel shot back. Sebastian paused before slightly turning to face the disgruntled butler.

"Yes, but there are even limits to a shadow. Tanaka has never once accompanied me on my assignments for the Queen," Sebastian responded.

"But I'm not Tanaka! Maybe he was afraid or something…regardless, I am not! Just think about it, if it wasn't for me tonight, you would've gotten shot in the head," Ciel pointed out. Sebastian shrugged his shoulders as he continued walking to the door.

"Although the effort was much appreciated, it really wasn't that big of a deal…" Sebastian trailed off when Ciel grabbed the sleeve of his jacket.

"I was seriously injured…and I **still** managed to find my way to the cellar in time to save your life. I didn't have to do it, but I did it anyway! Doesn't that show you how dedicated I can be when I set my mind to something? I wouldn't be a hindrance or anything…" Ciel reasoned. The demon blinked before slowly shaking his head. He gently removed the boy's hands from his jacket and reached for the handle of the door.

"No Ciel; your job is to serve me as a butler and as a sex pet. Nothing more and nothing less," Sebastian said simply. Ciel resisted the urge to stomp his foot on the floor. Sebastian was being really difficult tonight. But Ciel wasn't about to take no for an answer.

"Well, how about we have a trial period?" Ciel blurted out. Sebastian looked incredulously at the boy.

"A trial period?"

"Yeah…you're about to go and get the leader of this whole operation right now, aren't you?" Ciel asked smartly. Sebastian didn't say anything to that statement. Ciel, taking Sebastian's silence as a yes, continued to push his idea.

"I can help you find this guy! And…and while we work together, you can evaluate me. You can see for yourself whether or not I am reliable and worthy of being your partner when you work under the Queen. If I'm not, then we can pretend this conversation never happened, and I will fulfill my part of our contract. But, if I do prove how reliable I am, then instead of being your…pet, I can be your partner instead," Ciel negotiated. Sebastian paused and allowed for the deal his servant was presenting to him to sink in. He slowly released the handle of the door and turned to fully Ciel.

"You really are determined not to be my pet, aren't you?" Sebastian asked. Ciel nodded with determination. Sebastian sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "How about this?" he began. Ciel's ears perked up, and he couldn't stop the feeling of hope from rising in his chest.

"Forget about the trial period. I can see that your heart is set on being my partner, and you do possess an extraordinary skill for beating the odds. If that's what you want, fine. From now on, both you and I serve Queen Victoria as her faithful servants," Ciel opened his mouth to express his thanks, but Sebastian held up a hand to stop him from speaking. "However, there are terms that you must agree to before I change the terms of our contract. Firstly, you are still my sex pet, and I still expect for you to…service me…"

"WHAT? Bastard, that's not what I-"

"…If you fail to assist me during an assignment. During the time we are on assignment, you are merely my partner and butler, but I can still request your "services" at any time. If you can help me fulfill the Queen's wishes all the way to the end of her request, then during the time we are not serving her, you will only be my butler and nothing more. If you fail to do so, then you will become my butler and pet once again until the next assignment. These are my terms for this change to our eternal contract. Do you agree to them, Ciel Phantomhive?" Sebastian asked slyly. Ciel blinked, honestly shocked into silence. He had never expected for Sebastian to actually agree with his suggestion. Even though he was still mainly Sebastian's pet the majority of the time, there was a possibility that he could receive a break from his sexual harassment.

_Well, it is better than being possibly molested every day at a certain time…_

"Yes, I do agree," Ciel answered seriously. Sebastian smirked as his eyes began to glow. He slowly removed his glove that was covering his contracted hand.

"Remove your eye patch Ciel," Sebastian commanded. Ciel silently did so. The demon looked deep into the scarred eye as it gradually began to glow. The butler did his best to ignore the tingling sensation that was coursing through his body. Sebastian stepped closer to the boy until he was only a few centimeters away.

"Perfect," he said in a rich and seductive voice. He raised his contracted eye and cupped the left side of Ciel's face. Ciel felt faint as the man stroked his cheek; it was almost as if he was experiencing a commotion all over again.

"We leave first thing tomorrow morning. Make sure to rest well," Sebastian instructed before his hand touched Ciel's eye. Ciel's face went ghostly pale before he fainted for the second time in one night. Sebastian held the unconscious child upright while he continued the procedure for changing the terms of a contract. A droplet of blood leaked from the bottom lid of the eye, and Sebastian used his thumb to wipe it away. When the contract was amended, Sebastian brought his hand away from Ciel's contracted eye. The scarred eye instantly shut, and Ciel's body fell forward to collide with Sebastian's body.

Sebastian sighed tiredly at the weakness of humans. He had to have the contract on his hand changed as well, but he didn't pass out. He shifted his body and scooped the sleeping child into his arms. He turned to leave the room and reached out to touch the doorknob.

**BAM!**

"Master Michaelis are you alright?" Finny shouted frantically as he burst into the room, closely followed by Maylene, Bard, and Tanaka. Sebastian was now standing a few feet away from the door; he had moved out of the way just in time. Bard sighed before bopping the overexcited gardener over the head.

"Finny, you idiot! You almost killed him…and look what you did to the wall!" Bard hollered. The red-head turned to inspect the now damaged wall before sheepishly turning to face his master.

"S-Sorry Master Michaelis…" he apologized softly. Sebastian sighed with irritation before looking over his faithful servants. None of them had any life-threatening injuries. Tanaka was covered in a white powder, and he had one or two scratches on his wizened face. Maylene's glasses were perched on the top of her wild purple hair, and she was still gripping a pistol in her right hand. Her dress was torn in several places, and there was a cut on her leg that was still dripping blood. Finny had dried blood on his gloves, and there were some splotches on his shirt and pants. His clothes were all askew, and there was a cut on the side of the young man's neck where a bullet had grazed him. Bard looked the worst out of the foursome. His hair was matted down with blood and grime, he had several scratches and gashes on all parts of his body, and his face and outfit was blackened from gun powder and dried blood; however, he also looked the happiest out of the four.

Maylene looked away from her irritated master's face to the unconscious boy in his arms. She slid her glasses back over her face.

"M-Master Michaelis! W-W-What happened to Ciel?" she exclaimed, her voice full of worry. Sebastian blinked, slightly surprised by the woman's reaction before it hit him. He was carrying an unconscious boy in his arms, who was covered in scratches and bruises, and whose head was wrapped in cloth. Not a very ideal position to be in.

"Is he alright?" Bard asked gruffly. Sebastian nodded once, causing Finny to exhale in relief.

"He just…fell," Sebastian explained vaguely. All four of the servants blinked at their master's response.

"That must've been one heck of a fall," Bard stated. Sebastian resisted the urge to smile at the true statement.

**XXX**

Ciel moaned lowly before turning over in his bed. A ray of sunlight was filtering through the tightly closed curtains…well, the once tightly closed curtains.

"Good morning Ciel…" a pleasant voice called from the now open window. The light was too much for the sleepy boy. Even though Ciel was already awake, he refused to allow that person to realize it. He pulled the covers over his bandaged head and proceeded to snuggle into the covers.

"Five more minutes…" he requested sleepily. A soft laugh was heard. Ciel felt the bed dip down slightly on the side, but he still pretended to be contently sleeping.

"My my, are you already regretting your decision to change your position as my sex pet? I can change it back for you if you wish," breathed the voice seductively. Ciel instantly sat up in his bed with a light blush tinting his cheeks. He turned to glare at the person who woke him up in such a fashion, but was temporarily blinded by the morning sunlight. Sebastian smirked at his butler's reaction to the sudden light before moving to stand up.

"A-As if! Unlike you, I plan to actually keep my end of the deals I make," Ciel accused with a groggy tone. Sebastian looked as if he was hurt by the statement, but Ciel knew the demon was just acting that way.

"Didn't I say that I was turning over a new leaf last night? I intend to follow the rules of the deals I make as well," Sebastian stated. The tired child rubbed his eyes as he tried to rid them of sleep. Judging by the amount of light filtering through the wide open windows, it was at least eight a.m. He squinted for a moment as his eyes adjusted to the sunlight.

"Hurry up and get dressed Ciel. We need to depart for London as soon as possible…we are already behind schedule," Sebastian said with a disapproving tone. Ciel rolled his eyes and slowly moved from his position on the bed. He stood up on the floor and stretched his limbs before yawning hugely. A thought suddenly filled Ciel's sleep-filled mind.

"What about breakfast?" he asked. Sebastian waved a hand dismissively as he made his way to Ciel's open bedroom door.

"Do not worry about me. Bard has prepared something for me to eat…sadly. All you need to worry about is preparing the stagecoach for our departure," Sebastian said before exiting the room. An irritated vein popped out on Ciel's forehead.

_I wasn't worried about you. I was talking about breakfast for __**me**__._

He sighed and stretched again before moving over to his nightstand. He blinked slightly at the sight of a different set of clothes. He held up the pair of jeans with two brown patches over the knees with slight confusion. His eyes scanned over the unfamiliar clothing; a white dress shirt was folded neatly underneath a brown vest. On top of those clothing items was a brown hat. Even his eye patch was different! It looked more like an oversized piece of cloth with holes in it. Instead of there being just two strings, there were four. He looked beside the nightstand to see a pair of nearly knee-high brown boots.

_What happened to my clothes?_

Ciel raced out of his room and looked up and down the hall for some sign of his master.

"May I help you with something?" Sebastian asked politely in Ciel's right ear. Ciel nearly jumped out of his skin at the unexpectedness of the man's voice. He whirled to face the richer man.

"How in the world did you…? Never mind," Ciel held up the jeans, "What exactly are these? And where the heck are my clothes?" he asked accusingly. Sebastian smirked.

"Well, after you passed out last night, you left me with no choice but to undress you. When I redressed you in your nightclothes, it occurred to me that you couldn't walk around in the streets of London in your normal attire. It would attract unnecessary attention, and since we are going somewhat undercover, that would only cause trouble. So, I requested for Finny to loan you an outfit that a commoner would wear that didn't have dirt and other unmentionable things on it. I figured that he was about the same size as you when he was younger but maybe I was wrong," Sebastian finished thoughtfully. Ciel frowned at Sebastian; he wasn't **that** small.

With a dignified 'hmph', Ciel marched back into his room and slammed the door behind him. He could faintly hear Sebastian chuckling on the other side. He gritted his teeth and mentally counted to ten. It was way too early in the day for Ciel to be irritated by his master. He moved over to his nightstand and began to undress himself. His tongue poked out slightly from between his lips as he pulled on the jeans. The material felt a tad rough and weird to Ciel; he had become quite used to the wool material of his butler outfit. He was delighted to find that he only needed to roll the bottoms of the pants up in order for them to fit properly. Feeling his mood lift a tad more, Ciel put on the rest of the outfit.

With practiced skill, the boy buttoned up the white dress shirt in record speed. He rolled back the cuffs of the shirt so he could actually see at least half of his hand. Next, he shrugged himself into the brown vest. He buttoned up the big three buttons in under ten seconds before he pulled at the front to pull out any offending wrinkles. Finally, he grabbed for the boots and moved to sit back down on his bed. In the time that Sebastian had been gone, Ciel had relearned how to tie his shoes. He found that it took a little longer to lace up the boots than it did to tie his other shoes, and he also discovered that he had to roll his pants' legs up even more in order for the boots to fit comfortably. He adjusted the rolled up pants to make them look more stylish and presentable. Once they were fixed to his liking, Ciel pulled on his boots and began to lace them up. He didn't allow that little setback to ruin his good mood.

When his shoes were finally tied, Ciel hopped off of the bed and immediately turned around to make it up. Even though he would never admit it to his master, he was a little excited about going on a trip. This would be the first time that Ciel had left the manor since his failed attempt to run away from the demon. Plus, they were going to London! He had never been to a city before. Well, at least not that he could remember. To be among other types of people would definitely be an interesting experience. Even the fact that he was going to be with Sebastian…alone…for at least a few days didn't put a damper on his mood or his excitement.

Ciel found himself humming a little tune as he finished making up his bed. He moved to his bathroom and splashed his face with some cold water. He dried his face with a washcloth before reaching for his comb and brush. He looked at his bandaged head for a second before shuddering. All of the events that had taken place last night seemed unreal.

_It's so weird…how can I go from fearing for my life to being excited over going on a trip? It's not even a trip for pleasure…I am merely accompanying Sebastian to try and find the man that was responsible for last night's break-in. It's strictly business. But still…I can't keep myself from being thrilled about leaving this manor. Even if it is for only a few days… Perhaps I can find a church where I can repent for the sins that I committed last night?_

Ciel looked at himself in the mirror and frowned. His contracted eye wasn't glowing today; he could barely make out the outline of the contract. But he knew it was still there. He cocked his head to the side as he took in his appearance. He had been staring at himself for the past two months, trying to figure out what made him so alluring to Sebastian. No matter how he looked at himself, he looked like a normal boy. Perhaps normalcy was a turn-on for demons? Ciel shrugged his shoulders.

He reached up and unclasped the safety pin that was holding the cloth around his head. He pulled the hook out of the material and allowed for the strips of cloth to fall off of him. Ciel smirked at the sight of the red line where the cloth had been resting for the last few hours. He rubbed his forehead to see if he could get rid of the red line. He gave up after a few minutes and proceeded to fix his hair. He brushed down some of the wild strands and combed his hair until it looked presentable. He sighed before reaching for his eye patch. His frown increased as he fumbled with the strings. After a while, he finally got the hang of the new eye covering.

After he was properly groomed and dressed, Ciel moved into the main part of his room. He looked around his living area for the past two and a half months.

_I wonder if I should bring anything with me. Sebastian didn't say how long it was going to take…I wonder if the others know that I will be leaving. I mean, the manor is already destroyed as it is…how much more damage could they possibly add to it?_

Ciel ran a hand through his hair before he walked towards the door to his room. He turned around one last time before he proceeded out the door. He stepped into the corridor and made his way through Sebastian's damaged home. He assumed that he wasn't going to be eating breakfast, so he might as well head out to the stables where the horses were kept to go and wake the stagecoach driver. Ciel's stomach growled in protest at the thought of no breakfast. The child butler sighed as he walked down the stairs he had violently tumbled down a few hours ago. He arrived at the bottom and wordlessly looked at the small stain of dried blood.

_That must have been where I hit my head. Geez, you would've thought I had been murdered by the size of that stain…_

Ciel shuddered at the thought and quickly pushed last night's events to the back of his mind. He was in a good mood, and he would like to keep it for as long as possible. Ciel moved to the entrance of Sebastian's mansion and quietly slipped outside. He gratefully breathed in the morning air. He hadn't noticed how oppressive the air was in the house until he went outside. He stepped further out and allowed for the sun to shine on his face. A ghost of a smile developed on his face as he closed his eyes and relished in the sounds of nature.

The whispering of the wind and the chirping of the birds helped to relax Ciel's body. The sound of the water rushing from the fountain calmed Ciel's mind. He was starting to understand why Finny liked working outside so much.

"CIEL!" a voice called excitedly. Ciel cracked open his eye to see said gardener running in his direction. The other male's face had smudges of dirt, and his clothes had random stains on them. The butler weakly smiled at the overexcited servant.

"Good morning Finny," he greeted formally. Finny grinned widely at the shorter male.

"I'm soooooo glad to see you moving around! When Sebastian was holding you last night, you looked really bad," Finny commented good-naturedly. Ciel felt his heart thump at the mention of the other man.

_Oh god…he was holding me last night? I bet he was holding me like a woman again…damn it…_

"Ah, is that so? Well, I feel much better today," Ciel responded awkwardly. Finny's green eyes sparkled.

"That's great Ciel! How come you're outside so early?" Finny asked.

"I have to go and ready a stagecoach for Master Michaelis. We are departing for London soon," Ciel reported. The gardener eagerly reached for Ciel's hand, shocking the child. Finny pulled Ciel from the front steps of the manor and led him towards the stables.

"That's really cool Ciel! I've only been to London a few times, but it's a really nice place! And you get to go with Master Michaelis…you are really lucky!" Finny exclaimed. Ciel rolled his eyes but allowed for his fellow servant to drag him to his destination. Ciel sniffed daintily before covering his nose with his free hand. The closer they got to the stables, the more pronounced the smell of manure became. The red-head didn't seem to notice the offending odor as he pulled Ciel closer to the front of the stables.

Ciel froze at the sight of the first stagecoach horse. The animal was huge! Its big black eyes seemed to stare right through Ciel's entire being. The horse shook its head before whinnying at the sight of the two boys. Finny released Ciel's hand and moved to pet the animal. He gently stroked the nose of the animal and patted its cheek with the other.

"Hey girl! How are you doing this morning? Did you get the apple I gave Simon yesterday?" Finny asked in a cooing voice. The horse looked as if it was nodding at the boy's question, but Ciel wasn't sure. He was too busy wondering why he was frightened of the horse.

_What's wrong with me? Why am I frozen at the sight of a mere animal? Sure, it is quite…large…and muscular. It could easily crush me with its…hard…and sharp hooves. _Ciel gulped at the thought. Finny didn't seem to notice the other servant's discomfort. He reached for the latch to the gate and stepped away from the barrier. He patted the front of his legs as he called for the horse.

"C'mon Cindy! C'mon! You're going on a trip with the Master and Ciel today! It's going to be lots of fun!" Finny called excitedly. Cindy stepped forward obediently, and Ciel felt his mouth go dry as his eyes widened. The horse was even larger when it stepped out of its stall. The child butler watched wordlessly as the mammal's muscles rippled under its sleek chestnut-colored coat. Ciel nearly had a heart attack when the animal suddenly reared up. Finny merely laughed at Cindy's antics.

"Wait right there Cindy. I'll go get Simon and your other friends. I'll be right back. While I'm gone, you and Ciel can get acquainted!" Finny said soothingly. The kind gardener turned to Ciel, who remained hypnotized by the animal. The red-head walked around his friend and made his way to the side of the stable to get Simon and the stagecoach.

The butler warily looked at Cindy before he cautiously took two steps towards the animal. "Um, hey Cindy…" he started off awkwardly. The horse whipped her head towards the voice, causing Ciel to instantly freeze up. When she made no move to pummel Ciel's skull into the ground, he felt himself relax slightly. "You're not violent, right? You're just a horse that pulls a stagecoach…" Ciel said out loud. He was now trying to calm himself down more than he was trying to communicate with the horse. As he talked, he slowly edged closer to the animal. Feeling a burst of bravery, Ciel reached out and gently stroked Cindy's neck. Cindy snorted at the touch but made no other movements.

Ciel sighed with relief before he began petting the horse with more confidence. From the animal's reactions, she seemed to enjoy the attention. "Well, you're not so scary now are you? Heh, I guess I had nothing to worry about huh?" Ciel chuckled at his own stupidity. Suddenly, Cindy reared her head back. Ciel, shocked by the sudden movement, acted on instinct and wrapped his arms around the horse's neck. Cindy, thinking that Ciel was challenging her, began to move her head wildly around.

Ciel didn't realize how little he weighed until he was being thrown around on a horse's neck. He clung on for dear life, fearing that if he let go, he definitely would be killed or seriously injured. Cindy began to move around crazily, only causing Ciel to hang on even tighter.

"Whoa! Ah, Cindy! St-Stop…you're going to kill me!" Ciel called out desperately. The horse paid no attention to the boy's pleas and continued to stomp and whip its head. Ciel closed his eyes to stop his head from spinning. This was too much movement for him; he could feel his grip slipping. "Someone help!" Ciel cried out before his hands completely slipped. He screamed as he went flying into the air. He heard gasps. Ciel assumed that it was Simon and Finny, but he knew they were too late. He was definitely going to get hurt this time, possibly killed if Cindy had any say in the matter.

**XXX**

Sebastian was walking from the front steps of the manor and had just picked a red rose from a bush when he suddenly heard a cry.

"Someone help!" A piercing scream filled the once peaceful morning air.

Sebastian instantly recognized his butler's voice. He sighed before he made his way over to the stables.

_Leave it to Ciel to get himself in a load of trouble with such a simple task…_

The demon arrived at the stables in mere seconds and was just in time to see Ciel begin to fall back through the air. His eyes quickly assessed the situation. One of the horses was bucking and kicking quite wildly. Finny and Simon were watching in surprise while they held the other fully suited horses to the coach. A demon-revealing smile formed on his face before he moved smoothly to the panicked animal. He jumped and simultaneously calmed the animal with a gentle stroke from the tip of Cindy's nose to the middle of her eyes. He landed gracefully on the back of the now composed horse and held out his arms.

Milliseconds later, Ciel landed perfectly in his arms. Ciel's eyes popped open and instantly locked onto Sebastian's. The butler gaped in complete surprise at his master. Sebastian smirked before tucking the freshly plucked rose behind Ciel's ear. The boy blushed before glaring at the demon.

"Honestly, and you tell **me** not to provoke others?" Sebastian scolded good-naturedly. Ciel's embarrassed flush reddened immensely at the comment before he crossed his arms over his chest and looked away from the chuckling immortal.

_Well, so much for my good mood…_

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(1): **A commotion is an old medical term for what is now known as a concussion. A concussion is when the brain is forced against the bone of the skull. It usually occurs from a blow to the head. Sounds serious right? Well, most concussions are non-life threatening and can be treated at home, but if symptoms get worse, than a trip to the hospital may be in the cards.**

(2): **Witch Hazel was a commonly used medicine from the mid-1800s and onwards. It is still in use today, just not as much. It was/is used to stop bleeding and swelling. My ma used some on me yesterday when I scratched my arm, and the bleeding stopped pretty quickly! Anyhoo, it gets its name for the tree it comes from. The Witch Hazel Tree is native to North America and this medicine was adopted from Native Americans.**

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**J-C: Hmm...the chapter's over. Where's Sasuke?**

~Sasuke~ *poofs back* I'm back...

Naruto: *glomps Sasuke* I missed you!

~Sasuke~ Hn...

J-C: Awww! *squeals* Anyhoo, Chapter 7 is now over! *sniffles* I hope I was able to put everyone's anxiety and worry to rest! It's nice to end a chapter somewhat normally. And I'm very excited for the rest of this story now that the plot has finally been kick-started! And it's thanks to you guys that this story has gotten this far! ^-^ Without your support (reviewing), faving, alerting, and kind words, this story probably wouldn't exist...so thank you guys! Soooooo, what did you guys think of this chapter? I'd love to hear your thoughts! Love it? Hate it? Wish that Ciel really did shoot Sebastian in the back of the head instead of Abraham? The only way I'm gonna know how you felt about it is through reviewing...and faving...and alerting! So...review? Pretty please!

~Sasuke~ Begging J-C? That's sad...

J-C: Oh puhleaze! You beg too!

~Sasuke~ Yeah...but only in bed.

Naruto: *grins*

J-C: *blood drips* Oh crap...welp, that's all for this week! Hopefully I'll see you guys with another update soon! ^0^

Ja ne for now! ^-^

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Maria: **Hmmm indeed! Lolz, Sebastian is definitely a perv...but a clever perv! ;D I believe that in Chapter 7 of this story all of your questions will be answered! ^-^ I just wanted to take the time to thank you for your review! It was much appreciated! ^0^**

whoohoo: ***squeals* Yay! I'm glad you liked that line! That was my 2nd fav line from the whole 6th chapter. Heh heh, I will definitely try to add in some more smexxi moments...and soon there shall be a lemon! I'm trying to decide exactly when, but it is definitely coming! It was because of evil Sebastian that he recovered so quickly in the first place...I'm sure it would've taken him much longer if Sebastian hadn't ordered him to calm down. Lolz, I'm not sure if Sebastian can completely be scolded for his influence on Ciel's dreams. He's just that smexxi! XD Anyhoo, thanks for your review! I'm glad that one line could make your day! ;D**

Kuro Neko-chan: **That is so koolio that you can speak Latin! I've always wanted to learn how to speak it because it sounds all ancienty and stuff...lolz, your teacher is awesome! It would be so epic if the disease was actually real! O.O Sorry about the cliffie...I will definitely not do that for awhile... You have to admit, Sebastian is pretty smart to be able to get some action in the middle of a home invasion. ;D I hope the wait for the next chapter was worth it! Thanks for reviewing again! ^0^**

hannah: **Lolz, dun dun dun! SUSPENSE! Teehee, all will be revealed in Chapter 7! I hope you didn't have to wait too long to find out...thanks for leaving a review! I'm glad you took the time to do so! ^-^**

Shirogane-san: **Oooooh! I likey the play on words! ^-^ Teehee, thanks so much for the compliment! This review really made me laugh! I'm glad that Chapter 6 left you wanting more! Thank you for (politely) asking for an update! And thanks for the review too! I'm happy that you did! ^0^**

lL0tus: ***bows* Thank you so much! I don't mind long reviews at all! I am so happy that my story was the first one that you've ever read for the Kuroshitsuji fandom! It pleases me greatly to know that you like my writing style and the direction of this story! It's great that you're excited about Kuroshitsuji II just like me! Only two more weeks...I'm so excited! And besides, Sebastian and Ciel's story is continued in the manga, so they haven't completely disappeared or anything...anyhoo, back to the review! I'm glad that you think everyone is IC. I've been working uberly hard on making sure to keep them as true to their characters as possible. It's quite easy for me now that I've finally gotten the hang of it! ^-^ Lolz, I used to read only Naruto fanfiction before I got obsessed with Kuroshitsuji...now it's an equal balance of both. But it's great that you like Sasuke and Naruto's presence. I never really thought of them as being audience members, but it's great to hear that you like me including them in my AN. I'm glad that you liked my story so much that you left such a hefty review! I'm sorry for this really long response, but I had a lot to say in response! Thanks so much for reviewing my story! I'm glad you're enjoying what you read! ^-^**

Miko: **I don't mind if you haven't reviewed before. I'm just glad that you did! It means a lot to me. ^-^ *sighs with relief* Thank goodness! I was worried that no one liked how long my chapters are. It's great that you think differently! And do not be ashamed to be a fangirl...I'm one too! Lolz, it sometimes scares me how I will freak out every time something happens between Sebastian and Ciel (in the manga more than the anime now) that is really cute! Gosh, they are so canon it's not even funny! Whoops, sorry I got off topic. Thanks for complimenting my story and plot! It makes me grateful that I decided to actually go with this plot bunny! Thankies again for your kind words/review! This review made me smile. ^-^**

sebacieluver: **Yes... a cliffie. Aren't I just evil? *laughs evilly* Ahem, sorry about that. I'm sorry I'm torturing you in such a way...and I hope I didn't make you wait too long for an update to this story. I am trying really hard to update at a much faster rate than I did in the beginning. Thanks for your review and patience in case I made you wait too long! ^-^**

lilly: **I'm glad that you liked the action! I was so pumped when I was writing Chapter 6! I had all this exciting music and stuff playing while I was writing it. It actually helped to get me excited about what I was writing. Thanks so much for reviewing! It makes me happy to hear that you appreciated the twists and suspense that I incorporated. ^-^ I will definitely continue to work my hardest as this story continues. Thanks again! ^0^**

Assasin of Secrecy: **First off, I love this name! It's so koolio! I'm sorry for the slowish updates, but I'm glad that you took the time to review! Silent followers are shweet too! ^0^ I'm glad that I was able to push your boundaries. It's great that you gave this fic a chance, considering the genre and all. I'm glad you did! ^-^ *smiles* Thanks for appreciating my effort to keep Sebastian and Ciel IC. It's much easier for me now that I have a deeper understanding of their characters. It's kinda freaky how easy it was for me to switch their roles... I can't wait to read more of your random reviews for upcoming chapters! Lolz, don't worry, I won't reveal where I came up with the mouth inspection... *smirks* Thanks again for reviewing! ^0^**


	8. The Stranger

**J-C: Holy snap! I just realized something guys!**

******Naruto: What?**

**J-C: If I continue updating every Monday, the next time I update will be when Kuroshitsuji 2 airs! OH MY GOODNESS! *spazzes***

**~Sasuke~ Um...that's kinda creepy how obsessed you are with that show...**

**J-C: *sticks out tongue* I've been waiting since January 31st for the new season to air...don't ruin this for me!**

******Naruto: J-C...I think you should focus on introducing the chapter...**

**J-C: Oh, you're right Naruto! Sorry about that everybody! I'm just really excited about that...but I'm also excited for two other reasons! One: This story now has 150+ reviews (Thanks you guys! ^0^). Two: To celebrate my readers continued support and kindness, I have made a dedication vid for you guys! That's right, I made an amv! I know I say thank you every time I introduce a chapter but I felt like it just wasn't enough...so I went all out and made a Kuroshitsuji video! I posted the link on my profile page, so whenever you guys get the chance, check it out and tell me what you think!**

**~Sasuke~ Wow, that's actually kinda cool J-C...**

**J-C: Thank you Sasuke!**

**~Sasuke~ But you're still a loser...**

**J-C: *pouts* Darn...but whatever! It's time for me and my loser self to introduce the 8th Chapter of One Hell of a Master!**

**Naruto: After a word from our Disclaimer and Warnings!**

**Disclaimer: Yana Tobosa...I love you and your manga/show...but no matter how much devotion I show to both, I will never own them. T_T**

******Warnings: My devotion to this story (and readers) has produced no violence, and a little bit of language. HOWEVER, there are unhealthy dosages of the following: sexual situations/themes, BOY X BOY Love, and TWO, count them, TWO LIMES (well, maybe the first one isn't a lime...but the second one definitely is! ;D)! So exercise extreme caution while reading this chapter (In other words: Have your tissues at the ready fangirls!)**

**J-C: I am also devoted to preventing confusion...sooooo, thoughts look like this (**_Laaame..._**), regular dialogue/stuff looks like this (**If only I could be cool...**), emphasized words either look like this (Loser!) or like this (_Social Outcast..._), (XXX) stands for scene/time changes, and anything with a number behind it (ex. usuratonkachi (1)) means there is extra info about it at the end of the chapter because it's not really common knowledge. Now that all that lame stuff is already out of the way, please enjoy the 8th (and hopefully not lame) chapter of One Hell of a Master! ^0^**

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**Chapter 8: The Stranger**

Ciel gritted his teeth with slight irritation as the stagecoach ran over yet another rut in the ground. Thanks to a certain someone who was sitting on the very end of the same bench, Ciel's good mood had been thoroughly destroyed. Sebastian didn't seem to notice or particular care; he looked out the window and watched as the trees and other foliage passed by. The sight of his master being calm and collected after what had happened 30 minutes ago angered the child butler. In a moment that showed his age, Ciel decided to pull Sebastian down with him.

"Exactly **why** did you decide to build your home **two** hours away from London?" Ciel asked with annoyance. Sebastian blinked as the silence was broken by his servant and turned to appraise the boy. He inwardly smirked; he could feel Ciel's anger. He instantly knew what the boy was trying to do.

_Time to have some fun with my…partner_, Sebastian thought slyly. He crossed his legs and laid his arm on the back of the bench in a completely relaxed position. "Well, considering the nature of my job, I thought it would be safer to be far from the general public. When I…moved here, I decided to live in a secluded place. It just so happens that my place of residence is two hours away from London," Sebastian replied pleasantly. Ciel growled at the pale man's ease. He was so focused on his master's good mood that he didn't notice that Sebastian was slowly inching closer to him. Ciel crossed his arms and looked out the window.

"Don't you think your place of residence is a tad inconvenient?" Ciel asked. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at the question.

"How so?"

"Think about the stagecoach driver; he has to lead all four of those horses for a total of four hours. Two hours just to get to London, and then two hours to take you home. Trips to the city must be exhausting for him. Also, what about when you have house guests? The fact that you live two hours away from the city is only a hindrance to them. You're not thinking about your traveling companions either…who wants to sit for two hours in a stagecoach with you?" Ciel finished incredulously. Sebastian chuckled as he continued to move closer without alerting the irritated preteen's attention. He was about halfway to his destination.

"It is Simon's job to drive me places. He loves working with horses. The fact that he is getting paid for doing something with animals he loves is a bonus for him. I rarely have house guests, and when I do, they are pleased to take the trip to see me. Furthermore, many nobles live far away from London. In fact, the only time you can find the majority of my class of people in the city is during the social season. As for traveling companions…" Sebastian leaned to whisper into Ciel's ear, "…Who said all that was happening was sitting?" he asked seductively. Ciel whirled to find his master much closer than he was a few minutes ago. Suddenly, Simon ran over a particularly large pothole. Ciel was jolted from his sitting position; Sebastian was thrown off-balance.

The young servant opened his eyes and gasped at the new position he found himself in with his older master. Ciel was now sitting upright with his legs on the bench. His back was pressed against the side of the stagecoach. Sebastian's hands were on both sides of his head, and his entire body was perched over Ciel's smaller one. The dark-haired boy's one visible eye widened at how close his master was. Sebastian smirked before leaning forward to place a kiss on Ciel's lips.

Still shocked by the sudden change of positions, it took Ciel's mind longer than normal to process what exactly was going on. He was instantly snapped back to reality when Sebastian's tongue poked at his lips. Ciel pushed against the demon's chest and broke the kiss. Sebastian looked disappointed that his "fun" had ended so quickly. Ciel glared at the disappointed man.

"What the hell do you think you are doing…master?" Ciel asked with a biting tone. Sebastian smirked™ before leaning forward again. Ciel quickly turned his head to the side, causing Sebastian to chuckle.

"I am merely showing that there is more going on than sitting when one travels with me," Sebastian whispered hotly. Ciel flushed and shivered at the feel of the demon's breath on the shell of his ear. The boy refused to look directly at Sebastian; he wasn't going to be tricked into another kiss. Sebastian was completely satisfied with his pet's behavior. He began to plant seamless kisses on Ciel's jawbone, causing said boy to gasp. Ciel applied more pressure in a vain attempt to shove his master off of him. He soon discovered that his strength was no match for Sebastian's.

"Get off of me…t-this instan-" Ciel was cut off as Sebastian latched onto the side of his exposed neck. Ciel's mouth formed a small o as his eyes widened to comic proportions. Sebastian gently bit down on the flesh, causing Ciel to shiver involuntarily. The butler squeezed his eyes and mouth shut when Sebastian began to suck on his neck. New sensations and feelings rushed through the young boy's body, leaving Ciel breathless. Sebastian coolly observed as Ciel's attempts at escape lessened. Ciel's hands that had once been pushing against his chest were now clutching onto the material of his overcoat. The dark-haired boy's face flushed dark red when the demon stopped sucking and began to lick the beginnings of the hickey. His face scrunched and relaxed interchangeably. He bit his lip to stop himself from making any noise as Sebastian proceeded to suck on his neck again.

His hands had almost slipped completely off of Sebastian's body…until the older male moved one of his hands from the window to begin to unbutton his vest. Ciel's eyes snapped open, and he began to fight back again. "N-No…absolutely not! There is nooo…ngh, no way that I am e-engaging in s-s-sexual relations w-with you in the back ooof…hah, um, of this stagecoach," Ciel protested angrily. Sebastian made no move to either reply or stop. Ciel grabbed at the demon's gloved hand and wrenched it away from his vest. Sebastian moved back from Ciel's now marked neck and sighed. Ciel shivered as the demon's breath washed over his sensitive skin, but he refused to stop fighting. He leaned up from against the side of the stagecoach and pushed against Sebastian's broad shoulders. Sebastian responded by pushing on Ciel's chest so he was lying down completely on top of the bench.

Ciel glared up at the smirking man. "Are you trying to tell me that you do this with **all** of your traveling companions? Have you no shame?" Ciel scolded harshly. Sebastian chuckled at his butler's accusation. It pleased him how naïve his pet was sometimes.

"The truth is I haven't had a traveling companion in quite some time. In fact," Sebastian paused as he leaned down, "You are the first one. So when you say all…yes, I do," he said. Ciel's eyes widened as the truth of the situation hit him.

_Bastard…I should've seen this coming!_

Ciel had no time to respond with a biting remark for Sebastian had once again latched onto his lips. Ciel instantly began fighting back; this time, Sebastian wasn't having any of that. With one hand, he grabbed both of Ciel's hands while simultaneously breaking the kiss and held them over the trapped boy's head. Ciel moved to fight with his lower half; he was shocked when he found his lower half was incapacitated as well. Sebastian was using his legs to hold Ciel's hips and legs still. Ciel struggled in vain as the demon looked down at the prone body beneath him. The butler looked up with a glare and opened his mouth to order Sebastian to release him but the look in Sebastian's eyes struck him silent.

The demon's normally emotionless crimson eyes were looking down at him with a mixture of intensity and what could only be described as demonic lust. A demon-revealing smile slowly spread on his perfect face as he brought his free hand to the side of Ciel's face. He lightly stroked Ciel's blushing cheek. "Ah finally…right where I want you," he said huskily before proceeding to devour Ciel's mouth. Ciel's body instantly heated up the moment his and Sebastian's lips connected. The force of the kiss caused the back of Ciel's head to press into the bench beneath it. Even though Sebastian had kissed him several times, this one was completely different than the others. There was something much deeper in this kiss; it was like this kiss had a mission and Ciel was going to help it complete whatever it was, whether he wanted to or not.

Sebastian hungrily kissed the boy beneath him, and before Ciel realized what he was doing, he began to kiss him back. The small motion egged the demon on, and Ciel gasped when the older man bit down on his bottom lip. Sebastian took advantage of the opening and plunged his tongue into his partner's cavern. The sudden feel of the muscle caused the boy to panic. He instantly stopped kissing Sebastian back and moved to break the kiss. Sebastian firmly held Ciel's chin in place, preventing the boy from escaping. Ciel made small noises as he struggled fruitlessly in Sebastian's hold. In the back of his mind, Ciel wanted to just go with the flow, but his pride refused to allow him to give in.

Sebastian's tongue explored previously unchartered territory. He ran his tongue along the back of Ciel's teeth before moving on to other areas of Ciel's mouth. Ciel involuntarily released a feeble moan when Sebastian somehow managed to suck Ciel's tongue into his own mouth. The small sound caused the demon's member to twitch. Things were going smoother than he had thought they would have.

All thought processes were slowly being killed off in Ciel's mind. He wiggled his tongue a tad to try and get Sebastian to release it. He shivered as Sebastian released it, and it moved back into its original place. For just a second, Ciel had tasted Sebastian. It was one of the most addicting flavors Ciel had ever tasted. Sadly, Ciel didn't get an opportunity to taste it again because he suddenly remembered that he needed oxygen in order to survive. Sebastian released Ciel's mouth and both males looked at each other breathlessly. Ciel was gasping for air while Sebastian merely took a few deep breaths. He had nearly forgotten that Ciel was a human; therefore, he needed more oxygen at a quicker rate than he did.

Ciel swallowed unsteadily as he continued panting underneath his master. To say that the kiss hadn't had any effect on him would be the biggest lie of the century. Sebastian drank in the sight beneath him. Ciel's chest was rising and falling with an unsteady rhythm. His cheeks were dusted with red, and his hair was splayed around him like a dark halo. Ciel's mouth was opening and closing as he silently mouthed unintelligible words while trying to catch his breath. His lips were swollen and bright red from all the kissing that had been going on.

It was almost like Ciel was teasing him. Sebastian forced himself and his body to calm down; the worst thing he could do was hurt the kid while they were en route to a large city full of people.

"Hah…m-master," Ciel called out faintly. Sebastian looked down to see Ciel weakly glaring at him. "Don't…hah…Do not **ever** do that to me again…" he warned. Sebastian blinked at his servant's zeal before smiling pleasantly.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that," he said with an equally pleasant tone of voice. Ciel's eyes narrowed at the male above him.

"Why is that?" he asked dangerously. Sebastian leaned down to whisper into one of the boy's red-tipped ears.

"Because we still have at least an hour before we reach London…there are many things besides sitting that will be occurring in that time period," Sebastian explained suggestively before flicking his tongue out to lick at the boy's ear. Ciel shook his head and instantly began struggling.

"Not if I don't want to participate," Ciel hissed. Sebastian ignored Ciel's answer and leaned back to finish unbuttoning the boy's vest before moving on to the shirt underneath it. "Hey! Stop that this instant! What part of, "I don't want to participate" do you not understand?" Ciel called out angrily. Sebastian continued to ignore the boy's protests. Bit by bit, Ciel's naked skin was revealed to his master. "We are **not** going to have sex in a stagecoach!" Ciel cried. Sebastian paused as he unbuttoned the final button to look up at Ciel.

"Oh? And why is that?" he asked with amusement. Ciel growled as the demon proceeded to move the shirt's sides over so he could see more skin.

"Simon could hear us! And because I don't want to ever have sex with you," Ciel said in a controlled tone of voice. Sebastian cocked his head to the side before a slow smirk spread on his face.

"Well then, you'll just have to keep your voice down now won't you? And as for the not wanting sex reason," Sebastian suddenly poked his tongue out and licked from the hem of Ciel's waistband all the way to the center of his chest, causing Ciel to gasp and shiver. Sebastian came face to face with the shocked child before saying, "That will all change once you feel pleasure coursing through every fiber of your being," Sebastian finished huskily. Ciel's eyes widened as Sebastian's lips came closer to his own again.

Both males were completely taken by surprise when the stagecoach suddenly lurched to a stop. They both flipped off of the bench and ended up landing on the floor. No sooner did Ciel and Sebastian land on the floor did the vehicle begin moving once again.

"Sorry about that! One of the horses was spooked by something. I promise it won't happen again," Simon's voice faintly called. Ciel was still slightly shaken up by the sudden movement, but Sebastian was quick to regain his senses.

"Oh my, it appears as if my partner is attempting to display his dominance over me," Sebastian commented innocently. Ciel flew up from lying on Sebastian's clothed chest to straddle the man's hips. A blush slowly creeped on his face as he glared at the smirking demon.

"As if! Stop saying such scandalous things," Ciel grumbled. Sebastian said nothing as he reached up to touch the back of one of Ciel's ears. Ciel gaped at his master as the man held the rose from earlier in between his fingers. He brought the flower to his nose and inhaled the plant's scent. He moved to tuck the flower behind his partner's ear before he pleasantly smiled at the flustered boy.

"We are going to have lots of fun together, I can tell already. I should've made you my partner much sooner," Sebastian stated, causing Ciel to flush and scowl at the same time. Sebastian blinked before raising himself up to balance on his lower arms. "Ah, I almost forgot something," he said suddenly. Ciel blinked as the man reached into the pocket of his black overcoat. He said nothing as Sebastian produced his brown cap. "You forgot this in your room. I would've given it to you sooner but certain…situations made it difficult for me to remember about it," Sebastian explained before proceeding to place the cap on top of Ciel's head. Ciel's flush and scowl deepened at the motion.

**XXX**

Ciel resisted the urge to leap out of the stagecoach when Simon opened the door. Sebastian had finally given up on molesting the boy after they had been flipped onto the floor. But just being in the same area as the man set Ciel on edge. The fact that the area they had been confined in was relatively small had only made the boy even more anxious and annoyed.

"Here you are sir! When do you wish for me to come back for you?" Simon asked politely as Sebastian stepped down from the vehicle. The demon ran a hand through his hair as he looked around at his surroundings.

"No sooner than four days time Simon," Sebastian instructed. The stable boy/stagecoach driver nodded before smiling kindly.

"Of course master. Four days is it," Simon said before handing Sebastian a suitcase. The demon nodded at the man before he turned around to see Ciel slowly stepping out of the stagecoach. Simon closed the door once Ciel had his feet firmly on the ground. He bowed once to Sebastian before moving to the front of the vehicle. With a crack of the whip and a sharp, "Ha!", Simon and the stagecoach were rumbling down the cobblestone street.

Ciel looked up at the building Simon had dropped them off in front of. Sebastian watched as his servant's face paled noticeably.

"Why exactly did Simon drop us off at a hotel?" Ciel asked with suspicion. Sebastian began to walk towards the entrance. Ciel reluctantly followed behind him.

"There are two reasons for him doing that. One, so it will be easier for him to pick us up in four days. Two, because I always go here to handle my business," Sebastian finished with a mysterious tone of voice. Ciel rolled his eyes and placed his hand over the mark on his neck. He didn't want the hotel clerk to be staring at it.

Ciel quickly moved to open the door for Sebastian, just like the perfect butler would. Sebastian said nothing as he silently walked through the entrance. Ciel followed after him and gently shut the door behind himself. The butler took a moment to look at his surroundings. He was surprised to find that the lobby was quite plain. There were a couple of paintings on the wooden walls, and a vase with wildflowers was perched in one corner of the room. A staircase to the right of the front desk led to where Ciel assumed the rooms were located. Directly behind the front desk was a wooden board with keys hanging on hooks. Above the keys were brass plaques with numbers. The butler concluded that those were keys to the matching room numbers. His eyes drifted over to the right of the room, and he silently took in the sight of a mini lounge area. There was one lounge chair in the corner and a couch in the other. In between the two pieces of furniture was a fireplace and a wooden table with a few newspapers splayed out on its surface.

Ciel heard footsteps and quickly moved to follow Sebastian. They made their way to the front desk where a balding man with glasses was currently reading a newspaper. The plump male turned when he heard Sebastian gently place the suitcase on the ground. A look of recognition passed over his face.

"Good day to you gentlemen. What can I do for you two?" he asked kindly. Sebastian smiled politely before reaching in the pocket of his pants.

"I will be requesting board in one of your rooms," Sebastian responded courteously. Ciel looked over at Sebastian with a shocked expression.

_Only one room? Why didn't he "request" two? That means…I have to share a room with him for four nights?_

Both Sebastian and the hotel clerk ignored the shorter male's reaction. The clerk moved from his perch over to the board of keys. He reached for one and moved back to his desk. He opened a book and wrote down the key's number before looking up at Sebastian. "How long do you plan on staying?" he asked.

"Four days," Sebastian replied. The portly man nodded as he wrote down the length of their stay.

"That'll be four shillings," the man stated. Sebastian nodded and reached in his coat pocket. Ciel watched with slight fascination as the demon shifted through the coins in a small brown sack. Some of the coins were made of copper, but many of them were silver. Ciel's sharp eye caught a flash of a gold coin before it was covered by Sebastian's gloved hand. Sebastian finally pulled out one silver coin. Ciel was slightly confused by the sight of it; on the front of the coin was the engraving of Queen Victoria (1).

_Didn't the man ask for four shillings? Why in the world would Sebastian only give him one coin?_

The clerk smiled at the sight of the coin as Sebastian handed him the money. "Long live the Queen!" the man said good-naturedly. Sebastian nodded as the man handed him their room key. Wordlessly, he headed over to the stairs. Ciel bent down to grab the suitcase and bowed politely to the man behind the desk before following behind Sebastian.

They walked silently up the stairs and down the long hallway. On each side of the hall there were wooden doors with small bronze plaques on the top parts. Sebastian led them to the end of the corridor. Ciel looked up at the top of the door; the plaque simply read, "107". Sebastian unlocked the door and walked into the room. Ciel silently followed but the minute the door was closed, Ciel whirled around and dropped the suitcase on the ground.

"What is wrong with you? Why did you only pay for one room?" Ciel asked angrily. Sebastian shrugged his shoulders before bending down to pick up the dropped suitcase.

"It was cheaper for me. Plus, we need to be as close to each other as possible at all times while we are on assignments together," Sebastian paused before leaning down to be face to face with his butler. "Why do you ask? Are you…nervous?" he asked before raising one eyebrow. Ciel fought a blush from rising on his cheeks before turning away from the black-haired man.

"Absolutely not," he responded harshly. Sebastian chuckled as he shook his head. He straightened himself out and made his way over to the bed. He opened the suitcase and began to shift through its contents. Ciel busied himself by looking around at the area where he would be for the next four nights.

The walls of this room were covered in dark red wallpaper with one bold white line on the top and bottom of the wall. There was one large window directly across from the door. A little to the right of the window was a wooden door; Ciel assumed it led to the bathroom. Located to the left side of the bed was a nightstand with a solitary oil lamp on top. Directly to Ciel's right was a small desk and chair with a mirror hanging over it. Finally, his eyes settled on what he had been avoiding since he had walked into the room. A king-sized bed with a painting hanging over the headboard was located in the center of the room. It was covered in a white comforter, and there were two matching white pillows located at the top of the bed. Ciel gulped nervously at the sight of the single bed; was he going to have to share a bed with Sebastian? He rapidly shook his head to rid himself of that thought. Of course he wouldn't have to do such a thing! Sebastian was a demon; he had said so himself, he didn't require sleep and rarely does so.

Even with that thought, Ciel couldn't shake the feeling that he was going to leave this room as a completely different person than when he had first walked in.

Sebastian closed the suitcase with a snap, jerking Ciel from his silent observations. "Well that settles it. We are going shopping," Sebastian stated with finality as he turned to his butler. Ciel raised an eyebrow at the declaration before making his way over to his master. He sat down beside the suitcase and looked up.

"For what reason?" he asked. Sebastian motioned to the suitcase.

"I did not inform Tanaka to pack formal clothing for us," Sebastian said with a sigh.

"Formal clothing? Why do we need those types of clothes?" Ciel asked again. Sebastian reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his coin sack. He opened the drawstring and began shifting through the coins.

"In order to get close to the leader of the invasion, we are going to need to attend mass tomorrow," Sebastian said. Ciel blinked before suddenly jumping off the bed.

"You're going to kill a priest during mass?" he yelled out. Sebastian looked honestly shocked by Ciel's conclusion.

"Of course not; I merely wish to speak with Father Gregory about the terms of the deal we made after mass has ended," Sebastian replied calmly. Ciel looked suspiciously at the demon for a moment before shaking his head.

"Maybe I should go to mass by myself," Ciel said cautiously. Sebastian looked away from his butler as he mentally calculated how much money he could spend on their clothing.

"Why do you say that? I believe I just said that we need to be as close as possible to each other while we are on assignments," Sebastian said distractedly. Ciel bit his lip before turning to look out the window.

"I just thought it would be best…" he said before trailing off. Sebastian finished his mental calculations and tucked the money in his pocket. He turned to fully face his servant and chuckled.

"I understand what you are trying to say. I may be a demon, but I'm not going to drop dead from being in a church. Although it is not my ideal place to be around since I have no affiliation with God, I will be fine," Sebastian explained. Ciel slightly hunched his shoulders but made no other movement. Sebastian gently smiled before grabbing Ciel's chin and turning his head to face him. "Could it be that you were worried about me?" Sebastian asked mockingly. Ciel narrowed his eyes before slapping Sebastian's hand away from his chin.

"No…I just don't want to have to drag you from the church and up those stairs just to get you back to this room," Ciel responded smartly. Sebastian sighed at Ciel's stubbornness and walked over to the door.

"Regardless, we need to head out now. There are still a few hours before it gets dark and the shops begin to close. If we hurry, we may be able to have tea and get something for you to eat," Sebastian commented as he opened the door and walked out of the room. Ciel's stomach growled at his master's statement about food. The butler tried not to look too hasty as he followed his master out the door.

**XXX**

The master and butler made their first stop at a cane maker's shop. Ciel obediently opened the door for his master, and Sebastian walked through without a word. They walked up to the desk where a thin man was currently taking a midday nap. Ciel politely coughed, and the man jerked from his peaceful slumber. He peered down at Ciel before focusing his attention on Sebastian. The man blinked with recognition before immediately going over to the wall of drawers. Ciel watched as he pulled on one of the drawers.

He came back over from the wall and laid the cane on the top of the desk. The cane was made from some time of polished wood. It was long and colored black. On the top of the cane, there was a small handle that was shaped like a diamond. Remembering a lesson from Tanaka, Ciel reached up to analyze the cane. He was stopped by a hand being held in front of the item. The cane maker smiled humorously down at the disgruntled butler.

"Ah ah ah, little boy. This cane is not for playing with. Your father paid good money for it to be made, and I am sure he wouldn't be too appreciative if you broke it," the lean man reprimanded kindly. Ciel looked honestly shocked by the man's statement. He silently looked over at Sebastian to see his reaction, but his master was busy digging through his coins to pay for the cane. He eventually produced ten gold coins and laid them on the table. The cane maker smiled happily before handing the cane to Sebastian.

"Have a good day sir! It was a pleasure doing business with you," the cane maker said cheerily. Sebastian didn't say anything; he merely turned and moved toward the exit. The minute they both reached the street, Ciel laid into him.

"Master, why didn't you inform that gentleman that I was your butler?" Ciel asked angrily. Sebastian didn't say anything for a moment as he tapped the cane on the street beneath them. He nodded once before he began walking down the street. Ciel followed slightly behind the older man.

"I do not wish to give away our identities. Ever since that attack on my manor, word has gotten out that the Queen's watchdog has a child butler. I would instantly be discovered if people were to realize that you were said butler. Hence, why I had you wear Finny's clothing instead of your normal butler attire," Sebastian explained calmly. Ciel nodded before moving to walk beside his master.

"Still, you could've corrected him…I am not your son," Ciel grumbled. Sebastian smiled but didn't say anything to that comment. Ciel inhaled the scent of the London air, and he instantly coughed. The air was absolutely putrid! The smell of coal fires, unwashed bodies, and horse manure assaulted his unprepared nose. The butler placed a hand over his nose and looked up at the completely unfazed immortal.

"Master, do you not smell that?" he asked with disbelief. Sebastian looked down at his walking companion before taking a few sniffs.

"If you mean the air, then yes, I do smell it. But I have gotten used to it. If you think London smells bad now, you should have been around a few centuries ago," Sebastian replied. Ciel shook his head and proceeded to breath with his hand over his nose. Sebastian silently laughed at his butler's behavior. He was certainly a sight; no one else that they passed was doing what Ciel was doing. Sebastian made a right at the next street.

_If my memory serves me correctly, there should be a clothing shop about half a block away._

Ciel slowly brought his hand away from his nose when something sweet assaulted his nostrils. He looked across the street and resisted the urge to drool all over the street. A man was selling hot, sticky, and very sweet currant buns. They were only one farthing (2)!

The boy turned to ask his master for a farthing but Sebastian was no longer standing beside him. Ciel looked up and down the street and was just in time to see the back of his master's head entering a building. He quickly ran to catch up with the older male. It took him longer than expected due to the amount of people walking in the street. When he finally made it through the obstacle course of people, he could clearly see Sebastian chatting amiably with a young woman through the display window. Ciel growled before he proceeded to wrench open the door.

"I assure you sir, I am really 21," the woman tittered. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at her answer to his question.

"There are only two conclusions I can draw from your answer miss. One, you are lying about your age, or two, you look exceptionally well for your age," Sebastian responded flirtatiously. The young woman nearly fainted from the second conclusion. Ciel rolled his eyes; leave it to his master to flirt with people instead of focusing on clothing. The butler purposely closed the door louder than necessary, alerting both of the adults' attention to him. The woman blinked before nervously glancing at Sebastian.

"Is that your son sir?" she asked hesitantly. Sebastian shook his head before walking over to the peeved boy.

"No miss. This is my younger brother," Sebastian responded confidently before proceeding to ruffle Ciel's hair. Ciel swatted Sebastian's hand away from his hair and did his best to fix it. The woman breathed a noticeable sigh of relief before moving from behind her position behind the front desk. She made her way to the two males and leaned down slightly to be face to face with Ciel.

"Well then, it is very nice to meet you little boy. You have a charming older brother," the woman said before winking. The woman wasn't particularly bad looking or anything. Her auburn-colored hair was tied up in a bun. She had piercing green eyes and freckles dotted both of her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. She was wearing a plain green dress that complimented her eye and hair color and was of respectable length. The woman could be described as cute. Ciel felt physically sick at the suggestion about his master but forced himself to tiredly smile at the female.

"A-Ah yes, there are so many things that can be said about my brother. Charming is certainly one of them," Ciel responded in a clearly fake tone of admiration. The woman didn't seem to notice; she just giggled daintily into her hand.

"So…Mary, if I recall, do you think it will be possible to have both of our outfits ready to be picked up in time for evening mass tomorrow?" Sebastian asked politely. Mary straightened herself out and nervously smoothed down the front of her dress.

"I am not sure if that will be possible sir. I mean, the best I can do is in two days time," she responded. Sebastian looked honestly disappointed; Ciel mentally rolled his eyes.

"Ah, I see. I had been told by one of my good friends that you were one of the best seamstresses in London. He had said that you did good work in very little time; all of your creations were always of the highest quality. My little brother and I traveled from out of the city to meet with you with the hope that you could have our outfits completed. It is quite a shame; this was to be my younger brother's first time attending mass since he had been baptized too," Sebastian said sadly before placing his hand on Ciel's head. Mary looked thoughtful for a minute before her face suddenly lit up.

"Wait, I can finish this job! In fact, I won't even need to make completely new outfits for you two. If you two will follow me, I have a few creations that could be fitted to your respected sizes," Mary said breathlessly. Sebastian smiled charmingly before removing his hand from the top of Ciel's head. He placed a hand over his chest and bowed slightly.

"We both appreciate your time and effort," he said charmingly before smiling brightly. Ciel worried that Mary may pass out due to how much blood rushed to her face. She smiled prettily before quickly moving to a room in the back. Ciel glared at Sebastian and shook his head with disapproval.

"I swear, what would you have done if you were dealing with a man?" Ciel asked. Sebastian blinked before looking down at his partner.

"I do not believe there are male seamstresses in London," he replied thoughtfully before moving to follow after Mary. An irritated vein popped out on Ciel's forehead. He grumpily followed after his master.

Ciel arrived in a fitting room of sorts. There were several body-shaped sculptures spread throughout the room. Rolls of cloth hanged on one of the walls. In one corner of the room, a full-length mirror was positioned. Mary walked over to the corner opposite of the mirror and began moving down along the rack of finished clothing.

"You two may look at the outfits I have completed, and you can choose from them. I will be right in the store if you need me for anything," Mary said politely before exiting the room. She gently shut the door behind them, leaving the two males alone. Sebastian moved over to the rack of clothing and began to search through the outfits. Ciel sighed before moving to sit on a box located in the center of the room.

He watched boredly as Sebastian picked out a few outfits and went over to the mirror to look at how they looked on him. Ciel yawned after a moment and balanced his head in one hand.

"Master, why are all the clothes you picking black?" he asked. Sebastian looked over at his bored butler with a curious expression.

"Is there a problem with wearing black to church?" Sebastian inquired. Ciel stretched before moving from his position on the box. He made his way past Sebastian and began searching through the rack of more than black-colored clothing.

"Not really…if you were going to a funeral. You need more color master," Ciel said thoughtfully. Sebastian looked truly interested as Ciel began pulling out several different colored shirts and jackets.

"Why not wear something that compliments your eye color?" Ciel asked as he pulled out a red suit jacket. The inside part of the jacket was black; every part where the jacket folded over was black. He moved over to his master and fitted the man in the jacket. Sebastian looked down at his servant as Ciel dressed him. When Ciel finished buttoning the jacket, he stepped back to look at his master. He cocked his head to the side before shaking his head.

He undressed the demon and moved back over to the rack. The routine continued for a while of Ciel picking out a different colored suit jacket, dressing Sebastian, analyzing it, and eventually deciding that it didn't work. Some of the jackets made Sebastian look deathly ill, others made him look too thin, and surprisingly, some made him look too fat.

Ciel's eye caught something, and he instantly knew it would work. He grabbed for the jacket and moved down the rack until he found the matching pants. He triumphantly walked over to the silent man.

"Take off your pants master," Ciel commanded. Sebastian raised an eyebrow before slyly smiling.

"Oh? I never thought you would be the type to engage in such activities in public," Sebastian responded. Ciel rolled his eyes and held up the pants in one hand.

"Sometimes you really disgust me," Ciel responded harshly before throwing the pants at Sebastian's face. Sebastian expertly caught the clothing item and graciously followed Ciel's command. Ciel proceeded to dress his master in the matching coat. When Sebastian was fully dressed, Ciel took a step back to take in Sebastian's appearance. His master was currently dressed in a navy blue colored suit that had thin white lines that ran vertically down both the jacket and the pants. Sebastian turned to the mirror and looked at himself quizzically.

"If I buy a black top hat with a navy blue sash around the bottom and wear my navy blue colored tie over a white button-up shirt, this could work," Sebastian said thoughtfully. Ciel nodded before walking over to stand beside his master.

"See? Sometimes a little color isn't such a bad thing…" Ciel commented off-handedly. Sebastian smirked before leaning down to give Ciel's cheek a quick kiss. Ciel instantly flushed bright red at the act, and Sebastian pulled back with a grin.

"Ah, I clearly see your point. It seems as if color can be very appealing," Sebastian stated innocently. Ciel quickly wiped his cheek and glared at his still blushing reflection.

**XXX**

After making two more trips to a hat and shoe store, the two males were finally completed with their shopping. Ciel looked thoroughly exhausted from the day's events; Sebastian, however, looked completely refreshed. Throughout the day, he had been able to steal four more kisses and one grope from the younger boy. Yes, today had been a good day for Sebastian. Not so much for Ciel.

When Sebastian offered to take Ciel to a restaurant, Ciel instantly turned down the offer. Who knew what he could possibly do to him there? The master and servant returned to the hotel at around 10 in the evening. Sebastian ordered tea and a few pastries, which the clerk was happy to fulfill. Ciel's stomach grumbled at the thought of food. He hadn't eaten anything since last night. He was surprised he hadn't passed out.

Sebastian unlocked the door to their room and proceeded to light the oil lamp. Light filled the room. Ciel sighed before moving over to the bed and lying down. He was so exhausted from the day's events that he was prepared to fall asleep right then and there. But a knock on the door signaled the arrival of food. Sebastian went to go and get the food. He slipped the clerk a few shillings, and the man smiled politely before bidding him a good night.

Sebastian brought the plate with two cups of steaming tea and a few pastries over to his tuckered out servant. "Don't fall asleep yet Ciel. We still have to discuss our plan for tomorrow evening," Sebastian said as he gently shook his dozing servant. Ciel moaned tiredly before slowly sitting up. Sebastian put the plate of food on the nightstand and grabbed the cup of tea. He sat down beside Ciel and silently sipped the drink as Ciel proceeded to devour the pastries. When the last piece of food was eaten, Ciel reached for the cooled tea and took a sip before turning to face his master.

"Why do we need to discuss a plan? I thought we were just attending mass," Ciel pointed out. Sebastian shook his head.

"That is only part of the plan. There is a specific task I need for you to complete," Sebastian said seriously. Ciel's ears perked up, and he listened intently to Sebastian's next words.

"At the end of mass, there is an option for church members to receive forgiveness for their sins from the priest. I think it is called confession. I need for you to go into the confessional booth with the priest. You can confess whatever you wish but I want you to specifically listen to the sound of the priest's voice. During mass, I will be observing the priest's movements and physical characteristics. When I confront him, I want to make sure that I have the right man…it would be a shame if I ended up speaking to the wrong person," Sebastian finished. Ciel nodded slowly and finished drinking his tea.

"While I'm in the confessional, what are you going to be doing?" Ciel asked.

"I will be mapping out the layout of the church to find the quickest route of escape," Sebastian responded. Ciel looked accusingly at his master.

"I thought you said you weren't going to kill the priest," he said suspiciously. Sebastian chuckled.

"I am not; but in case our discussion does not go as planned, it is important to know the quickest way to exit the area," Sebastian responded calmly. Ciel bit his lip before looking up at the ceiling.

_This is a prime opportunity for me to ask forgiveness for my sins…_

Sebastian moved from the bed and stripped his coat off of himself. He laid it on the bottom of the bed before he continued undressing his top half. Ciel watched out of the corner of his eye; he didn't want Sebastian to know he was looking. The only reason he was even looking at the undressing demon was because he was curious as to why he hadn't asked Ciel to undress him instead. Sebastian pretended not to notice Ciel's eyes on him as his top half was completely exposed. Ciel faintly blushed before looking over at the wall; Sebastian was even more well-built than he had previously thought. Ciel quickly shook his head and ridded his mind of all sinful thoughts of Sebastian. A sudden weight on his shoulders jerked Ciel from his mental battle with himself.

He looked up to see a half naked Sebastian smirking down at him. He motioned to his butler's shoulders, and Ciel focused his attention on the area. He gently removed the large dress shirt and looked back at Sebastian quizzically.

"Tanaka is getting older with every passing day. He forgot to pack your night clothing, so you can wear my shirt for now," Sebastian explained before walking away from the stunned child. Ciel cautiously brought the shirt up to his nose and sniffed. He wasn't curious about how Sebastian smelled or anything; he was just checking to make sure the shirt didn't have an offending odor. Regardless, his nose was instantly filled with Sebastian's scent. It was a spicy-sweet smell, almost like the smell of licorice. It instantly drew Ciel in; he felt his body relax immediately.

Ciel felt the bed sink down slightly. He turned around to find Sebastian lying on top of the top sheet on the other side of the bed. He placed his arms behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. Ciel felt his mouth go dry as he watched Sebastian's muscles faintly bulge and ripple. Even though it didn't look like it when the demon had his clothes on, Sebastian had fairly muscled arms. Not too muscled to where they looked like they didn't belong on his body, but they were enough to give the other male the appearance that he could seriously injure someone if he wished to. For an odd reason, a thought flitted through Ciel's mind.

_I wonder what those arms would feel like wrapped around me…_

Sebastian blinked and turned to look at his staring butler, and Ciel felt his face heat up. Before Sebastian could make any moves or even speak, Ciel jumped off the bed and dashed into the bathroom. He slammed the door behind him and leaned against it. His breathing was slightly unsteady; not from physical exertion, but from the shock of the thought that had ran through his mind seconds ago.

_What the hell is wrong with me? How could I think such a scandalous and perverted thought? Especially involving the likes of him? Okay, get a hold of yourself Ciel. I can't go out there acting like this; he will definitely know something is up. I need to calm down._

Ciel breathed deeply and squared his shoulders. He could do this; his opponent was an annoying demon who he hated with a passion. Even if he was lying half-naked on the other side of the bed, Ciel would pay no mind to his presence. With that thought in his head, Ciel undressed himself and slipped into Sebastian's shirt. He was surprised to find the length of the shirt was the same as his night shirt at home. He shrugged off the thought and turned to walk out of the bathroom.

Sebastian looked emotionlessly at his butler as he exited the bathroom. He merely watched as Ciel folded up his own clothes and his coat. The boy made his way over to the bed and climbed up onto the bed. He quickly tucked himself under the covers and turned over on his side. Sebastian continued to stare at the boy's stiff back. He could feel Ciel's unease; it was practically suffocating the room.

"Well, we will most likely have a late night tomorrow evening. It is important that we rest up tonight and tomorrow," Sebastian commented.

"If you try anything funny, I will kill you," Ciel warned dangerously. Sebastian smirked and said nothing to Ciel's warning. He merely leaned over the boy's body, making sure to make as much bodily contact as possible, to blow out the oil lamp.

**XXX**

Sebastian and Ciel both stared up at the entrance to St. Mary's Cathedral. The building looked to be ancient compared to the other buildings in the area. It was made from stone bricks, and the steps leading up to the large wooden doors were made of marble. It had an extravagant stain-glass picture showing the Virgin Mary with a halo surrounding her head near the top of the center tower. The bell at the top of the church was ringing, signaling it was time for evening mass. Master and servant exchanged a look before following the other churchgoers into the building.

The strong smell of incense was the first scent that assaulted Ciel's nose. There was a red carpet that almost matched Sebastian's eye color in the center aisle. On each side of the aisle were rows of wooden pews. Both males slipped into the pew near the back in order to avoid attracting attention. It looked as if this was the time that most working-class churchgoers attended service. Ciel mentally congratulated himself for choosing a simple brown suit jacket with a white dress shirt, matching brown shorts, long white socks, and a pair of brown shoes. He wasn't wearing a hat like Sebastian; his hair was parted so his bangs were covering most of his eye patch. It had been hell to get his hair to look that way, but Sebastian had insisted that people would stare at them even more at the sight of Ciel's "handicap".

Even though their goal wasn't to attract attention, the sight of the two newcomers drew the attention of some members of the church. Ciel did his best to ignore their whispers and stares and looked straight ahead at where the priest would lead mass. Sebastian was mentally mapping out the area and looking for potential weak spots in the structure. If things got too dangerous, he just might have to bust out a stain glass window or two, or even break a hole in the wall to escape.

The sound of a chord being struck on the church organ signaled the start of the evening mass. Ciel and Sebastian obediently stood with the rest of the people but did not participate in the opening hymn. How could they? Even if Ciel was Catholic, he couldn't remember attending any sort of mass, and Sebastian…well, he was a demon. Ciel noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and watched as a boy dressed in a brown robe similar to the one worn by the attackers walked down the center aisle holding a cross. Another boy followed closely behind him, carrying a gold plate and a large gold cup. Ciel couldn't see what was in the cup, but the plate had several circular pieces of food. A third boy entered shortly afterwards, and Ciel nearly choked on the smell of incense as the boy waved the container in front of himself and to both sides of the church.

The person that followed after that boy instantly caught Ciel's attention. The man was dressed in a white robe with a gold cord hanging from his neck. He had a red sash that wrapped around his shoulders and fell in front of the base robe. It had gold designs and words written on it, but Ciel couldn't decipher what exactly was written because it wasn't in English. The man was holding up a large book that had a gold cross engraved on the cover. Ciel assumed that it was the Bible. The man had a bald spot located right in the center of his head. His remaining dark brown hair formed a crown around the area. The man looked to be about middle age, but the way he walked and held himself made him seem much older and wiser.

Ciel knew this was their target.

When the procession reached the front of the church, the congregation continued to stand as the priest held up the book for a few more minutes. When the music ended, the priest gave permission for everyone to sit.

Ciel allowed for his mind to wander for the next two and half hours as evening mass proceeded. Sometimes he would glance over at his master to see if he was feeling distressed or anything. Sebastian looked completely calm every time Ciel glanced at him, and the boy finally concluded that his demon master would be alright. When it was time to kneel or stand for a prayer or hymn, the two imposters would do so obediently. During the mass, Sebastian paid more attention to Father Gregory than the words that were spewing from his lips. His sharp eyes caught every movement and gesture the priest made. When everyone moved to receive the "body" and "blood" of Christ, Ciel and Sebastian stood and followed the crowd as well. Right before they reached the front, Sebastian tugged Ciel out of line. They moved to join the flow of people who had received the bread and wine and mimicked their motions.

Finally, evening mass ended. Sebastian and Ciel waited patiently as the majority of the congregation filtered out of the church. Sebastian's eyes followed Father Gregory's movements as he walked out a side door. He was closely followed by an elderly couple and the three boys from earlier.

"That must be where the confessional booths are located," Sebastian whispered. Ciel nodded and moved into the aisle. He slowly walked up the pathway and looked at the altar. It was surrounded by various flowers and other relics. A small manger was off to the side and another cross with a man hanging on it was located on the opposite side of where the priest had just spoken. Ciel swallowed his nervousness and turned to walk into the side door.

He emerged in a high-ceilinged area. The room was fairly empty except for a large wooden booth. A bench was located over to the side, and Ciel moved to take a seat there. He looked around his surroundings and shivered at the images on the walls. Several paintings showed people writhing and crying out as they burned in orange-red flames. One stain glass window showed an angel weeping as a horned creature dragged a person down into a dark abyss. That window really set Ciel on edge; was that how it would look when Ciel's soul was condemned to Hell?

The sound of a door sliding open alerted Ciel's attention. He turned to see an elderly man slowly stepping out from one side of the large booth. The elderly woman emerged from the side of the booth and moved to latch onto the man's arm. The man smiled gently at her before they both walked past Ciel wordlessly. The butler waited until the door closed behind them before moving over to the booth. He silently moved into the tiny area and closed the door behind him.

He could just barely make out a small bench for him to sit. He sat and turned to the side. A small window covered with a grate and cloth blocked Ciel's view of the other side of the confessional. Ciel assumed it was for privacy reasons. He took a deep breath and mentally went through the words Sebastian told him to say.

"Bless me Father for I have sinned," he started off solemnly. A silence settled in the booth for a moment. Ciel waited patiently for the sound of Father Gregory's voice.

"What sins have you committed my child?" Father Gregory asked. The priest's voice was smooth and gentle, but Ciel could hear a slight edge that suggested he could punish any church member who stepped out of line. Ciel realized that it was his turn to speak.

"I have murdered two of my fellow men by my own hand," Ciel started off.

"That is quite a sin my child. You sound so young too. But that is why you have come to confessional, no? To be forgiven for such ghastly sins?" the priest asked kindly. Ciel noticed that the man had a slight lilt to his voice; it gave his voice an almost musical quality.

"Yes Father," Ciel responded.

"Good, good. Do you have any other sins?" Father Gregory asked. Ciel bit his lip as his nightmares from a few nights ago flashed through his mind. He shivered at the memory of one of his nightmares where he had been writhing and crying out in ecstasy as Sebastian took him from above.

"Yes Father," Ciel found himself saying. For an odd reason, he found himself trusting this man more than he had trusted anyone in his memory. He couldn't wrap his mind around the possibility that this man had tried to kill his master. He just didn't seem like that type of person.

"Out with it my child. Remember, God and I are both listening and willing to forgive you, no matter how grave your sins may be," the elder man said. Ciel took note that a slight rumble sometimes presented itself when the priest spoke, almost like he needed to clear his throat.

"I have had…impure thoughts and dreams Father," Ciel said hesitantly as he clasped his hands together.

"Ah, a sin of the flesh. This is a grave sin indeed. Of whom my child?" the religious leader asked.

"…of a man Father," Ciel responded tonelessly. A pause settled over the two.

"A man you say? Have you ever acted on your thoughts?"

"No Father," Ciel quickly replied.

"Have you felt pleasure when you think such thoughts about another man?"

"Only my dream self; never when I am fully conscious," Ciel said seriously.

"That is very good my child. Your soul is still salvageable," Father Gregory said approvingly. Ciel said nothing and ignored the twinge he felt in his heart.

"Are there any more sins you have committed my child?"

"No Father," Ciel said solemnly. Father Gregory sighed before he began mumbling a prayer. Ciel waited patiently until he heard the priest say, "Amen".

"In order for you to be truly forgiven, you must never murder another of your fellow man. Also, you must work your hardest to stop your mind and body from being tempted. Banish all impure thoughts of another man; if not, you will stray from the true path and never be allowed past the gates of Heaven. Do you understand my child?" Father Gregory asked.

"Yes Father. Thank you Father," Ciel said solemnly. Ciel silently stood from the bench and proceeded to walk out of the booth. He slid the door shut behind him and breathed a sigh of relief. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Even though he knew that he was indefinitely going to Hell due to the contract he had with Sebastian, he wanted to solely go there for that one reason without his own contributing sins.

Ciel exited the room and reentered the main area of the church. He looked around the empty area with confusion; he had been sure Sebastian would be waiting for him here.

"That took longer than expected," a familiar voice called from above. Ciel looked up to see his master hanging upside down from one of the chandeliers. He frowned with disapproval before shaking his head.

"Have you completed your part of your plan?" Ciel asked condescendingly. Sebastian nodded before he dropped from his perch. He landed perfectly on his feet and walked over to his pet.

"I have mapped every possible escape route, and I have also discovered the location of Father Gregory's sleeping quarters. I think it would be best if we met him there so that I can discuss the conditions of the deal we made," Sebastian relayed. Ciel nodded and followed behind his master as he led him to the priest's living area. They proceeded out the main entrance and made an immediate left. Sebastian stealthily opened an iron gate. The two males walked through the gate, and Sebastian turned to quietly close the entrance. They walked down a stone pathway that was littered with leaves and various vines. The area looked to be even older than the church itself. After a few minutes, they reached the end of the path and arrived at a stone building.

"Is this the place master?" Ciel asked softly. Sebastian nodded and led his butler to an area beside the building. They crouched behind a recently trimmed bush and waited patiently for the sound of approaching footsteps. The area was nearly pitch-black; Ciel couldn't see a thing. Sebastian's eyes adjusted accordingly to where he could see everything perfectly as if it was midday.

The sound of the gate creaking open alerted both of the hiding males' attention. Sebastian brought a finger to his lips, signaling Ciel to stay silent. The boy silently nodded and turned to look where he assumed the priest would soon appear. A few minutes later, the silhouette of a man holding a lantern appeared on the pathway. Father Gregory was no longer dressed in his priestly robes; in fact, he was dressed in the clothing of a working-class man. This slightly confused Ciel.

_Isn't he supposed to be turning in for the evening? Why is he dressed in regular street clothing?_

The priest continued down the path and looked as if he was going to make his way to the building. Ciel and Sebastian were forced to back up slightly when the swinging lantern illuminated their hiding spot. But right before he reached the entrance of the building, the priest suddenly turned. Sebastian watched intently as the man moved away from the building and continued towards the back of the church. Ciel looked at his master with confusion; Sebastian's face gave away nothing. They watched as Father Gregory continued all the way to the back of the area. The man turned around and looked around him to see if anyone else was around or following him. He turned back and quietly opened a gate.

When the man had walked a fair distance away from the gate, Sebastian rose from his position. "Well, I wonder where he is heading off to. Doesn't he know it is rude to keep company waiting?" Sebastian asked rhetorically. Ciel rolled his eyes before standing.

"It's not like he **knew** he had company in the first place," Ciel pointed out. Sebastian nodded thoughtfully.

"Regardless, is it not common knowledge for a man of his religious stature to return to his quarters immediately after service?" Sebastian asked. Ciel shrugged his shoulders before he brushed off the dirt that had gotten on his pants.

"Perhaps he actually has a life," Ciel commented after a moment. Sebastian moved from the bushes and followed the path the priest had taken. The butler followed closely behind him. "What are you doing master? This is an invasion of his privacy," Ciel hissed. Sebastian said nothing as he silently opened the gate the priest had walked through moments ago.

"If he does have a life outside of his priesthood, then why was he being so secretive about it? It looks like he was up to something. Besides, it's not as if he hasn't invaded my privacy as well," Sebastian added before walking through the gate. Ciel sighed before following his persistent master. The partners trailed after their unsuspecting target for a few minutes. They would occasionally have to duck into alleys or the doorways to shops whenever he would turn around. His behavior caused Ciel's curiosity to spike as well. The priest turned down a street that made Sebastian's eyes widen.

_Now why would he go down __**that**__ street?_

Ciel darted out from the doorway they were hiding in and moved to turn the corner. Sebastian reached out and grabbed the younger male's arm. Ciel looked back at his stone-faced master.

"What are you doing? If we don't continue to follow him at this pace, we are going to lose sight of him," Ciel said. Sebastian shook his head and smiled faintly.

"I think that is enough trailing for one evening," he replied. Ciel blinked with confusion.

"But-"

"Also, it is not safe for young children to be roaming the streets at this time of night," Sebastian added in sweetly. Ciel growled and wrenched his arm out of the demon's grip.

"You said we would be having a late evening anyway," Ciel pointed out with slight irritation. Sebastian smirked before leaning down to be face to face with Ciel.

"Now, who said the evening was over?"

**XXX**

"A-Ah…mm, maaaster, we c-can't," Ciel protested breathily. He shivered as Sebastian released his ear lobe and locked eyes with him.

"I want you Ciel…and you want me too," Sebastian replied lustfully. Ciel's eyes widened at the older male's words. He slightly gripped tighter onto Sebastian's arms and weakly attempted to push him away.

"No…I do not want you," Ciel replied feebly.

Sebastian responded by pressing Ciel's smaller body even harder into the door. Ciel gasped at the feel of the other man's body being even closer to his own. Sebastian used his knee and rubbed it against the opening between Ciel's legs. The boy felt his knees go weak at the motion. The only reason he didn't crumple to the floor was because Sebastian had an arm wrapped around his waist. He clutched on even tighter to his master and moaned softly at the friction.

Ciel wasn't even sure how things had gotten this far. After Sebastian had made that statement on the street, they had both returned to the hotel. No sooner had Ciel turned away from closing the door, Sebastian had jumped him. If he had known that Sebastian had meant this when he had said what he had said, Ciel would have darted after the priest.

Ciel shook his head and attempted to close his legs. He could feel the same reaction from two nights ago occurring in his pants. "M-Master, ahn! Ugh…st-stop i-" Ciel's rebuttal was cut off by Sebastian's lips covering his mouth. Sebastian wasted no time in inserting his tongue into Ciel's open mouth. The addicting taste of Sebastian filled the boy's senses, wrapping his mind and body in a cloud of lust and want. Ciel moaned into the lustful kiss and hungrily kissed the demon back. Ciel's hands released their hold on Sebastian's arms. He instantly wrapped them around his master's neck and pressed his body closer to the demon's. Sebastian wrapped both of his arms around his butler's waist and carried the boy to the bed without breaking the heated kiss.

Sebastian gently laid Ciel down onto the bed. Ciel's mind slightly registered the change of location but a simple tilt of Sebastian's head deepened the kiss, causing Ciel's mind to drown once again. Ciel pulled the man down while simultaneously opening his legs to accommodate the male. Sebastian smirked and kicked off his shoes before climbing fully onto the bed. There was no doubt about it; tonight, he was going to take his pet.

Sebastian pulled back to break the kiss and immediately worked on removing the annoying pieces of fabric that were covering his pet's body. The fog from Sebastian's taste slowly lifted from Ciel's mind, and he attempted to stop Sebastian's progress. "N-No…why…hah…do you…w-want to always…hah…do that with m-me?" Ciel asked curiously while pushing at Sebastian's shoulders. The demon pulled the struggling body up from the bed and crushed him to his chest as he stripped the boy of his suit jacket. He threw the article of clothing over his shoulder and laid Ciel back down to work on the boy's shirt.

"I already told you Ciel. I want you…**all** of you. You are mine, and I am going to claim your body as my own," Sebastian responded passionately before moving to suck on an exposed nipple. Ciel threw his head back and cried out as his entire body shook from the action. His hands gripped at his master's hair as he attempted to pull him away from the sensitive area of his chest. Sebastian barely felt the child's pulls and continued to simultaneously suck and nibble on the boy's nipple while unbuttoning the rest of his dress shirt.

"Ooooh, ah! N-No mooore, hah…maaaster st-stop it!" Ciel yelled out. Sebastian's response was to drag Ciel up from the bed to remove the tie and dress shirt. Sebastian released his hold on the boy, causing Ciel to fall back onto the bed. Sebastian used his now free hand and moved to tweak the untouched nipple. Ciel gasped and stopped the cry from emitting from his lips. His eyes lolled back when Sebastian latched back onto the other nipple.

Ciel wasn't sure if it was a figment of his imagination or not, but he swore he had seen an outline of a man peering in the window. He blinked and when he looked at the window, there was no one in sight.

The sensations rushed throughout Ciel's undeveloped body and settled right between his legs. Sebastian felt his butler's member harden at the treatment he was receiving, and he stopped his ministrations to look at Ciel's blushing face. "You are quite sensitive, aren't you?" Sebastian asked teasingly. Ciel glared at his teasing master and tightened his grip on his black hair.

"Sh-Shut up! Stop…touching, hah, me right now. I-I don't…want this," Ciel responded defiantly. Sebastian smirked at that statement and brought his hand down to the area between Ciel's legs. Ciel's whole body shuddered at the touch. The boy's head rolled to the side, and he squeezed his eyes and mouth shut as Sebastian began to rub the area. One of Ciel's hands released Sebastian's hair and moved back to form a fist in front of his mouth. He could feel his member harden as a sticky substance began to leak out. The boy's innocent reaction to the demon's touch caused said immortal being to become even more excited.

He stopped rubbing and moved his hand to the zipper of his servant's pants. He brought his gloved hand up to his mouth and removed the material from his hand. Once his hand was freed, he reached into the opening of the shorts and maneuvered around the boy's underwear. Ciel's eyes snapped open, and he gasped and moaned softly at the feel of Sebastian's bare skin and the open air on his dick. Sebastian began to pump the weeping member, causing Ciel to writhe and cry out beneath him. Sebastian was pleased by his pet's reaction, and he moved so his lips were positioned near Ciel's ear.

"Stop lying to yourself Ciel. You do want this; it's quite evident from the lovely reaction you're having to my ministrations. Stop resisting…Give into me Ciel," Sebastian whispered hotly. The dark-haired butler's breath caught at his master's words. Ciel slowly turned to face the lustful man above him. His eyes locked with his master's, and he could feel his resistance slowly being eaten away.

"M-Master…"

"Oh my! It seems as if I am interrupting something…should I come back at a later time?" a shocked voice called. Sebastian groaned at the sound and buried his face in Ciel's exposed shoulder. He had been so close this time. Ciel's whole body stiffened. He let his head hang over the side of the bed and looked to see a man sitting on the windowsill. Sebastian looked up from his position and glared at the smiling male. The interrupting man waved cheerily.

"Don't look at me like that Sebastian…it's not as if I'm stopping you. Please, do continue by all means. I swear I won't get in the way!" the man said before placing a hand over his heart. Ciel blinked before looking between his glaring master and the smiling stranger.

_What is going on? Who is that man? And how does he know Sebastian?_

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(1): **The coin that Sebastian gives the hotel clerk is called a double florin. It was only in the British money system from 1887-1890, and was created to celebrate Queen Victoria's reign so far. Hence, why the clerk proceeds to say, "Long Live The Queen!". Its value is equivalent to 4 shillings, which is why Sebastian gave him the coin in the first place.**

(2): **A farthing was a coin that was used up til the early 1900s in England. It is the cheapest form of money. It took four farthings to equal 1 penny! So you can see why Ciel was so excited by the possibility of eating something for only one farthing! ^-^**

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**J-C: *fans self* I'm blushing so much right now...I can't believe I wrote that!**

~Sasuke~ Well, you are a Grade-A closet pervert...

Naruto: *nods* Plus, you're always thinking of situations where you can put us in positions like that...

J-C: Yeah...in secret! This is the first time I've ever written something so explicit...and it's not even a lemon!

~Sasuke~ Just imagine when you actually write the lemon for this story...

J-C: *nearly passes out from the thought* I'm gonna die you guys...

Naruto: It was nice knowing you J-C!

J-C: *sighs* Anyway, that's it for this chapter you guys! Despite my embarrassment, I still had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Your guys' continued support has really inspired me! Thank you so much! I am proud to say that I have the entire plot ordered and ready to be written! Now I just need to work on my chapter lengths...*laughs nervously* But anyway, I wanted to thank all of my reviewers from Chapter 7 (anonymous ones will get replies to their reviews at the bottom of this A/N)! I'm psyched that you guys like this story so much that some of you are repeatedly reviewing! I appreciate it so much! So I would love to hear everybody's thoughts on the 8th chapter...was it too perverted? Not perverted enough? Hey, I won't know unless you leave a review! So plz review! ^0^ I'm going to sign off now...I have another dedication vid that I need to work on!

Ja ne for now!

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Kuro Neko-chan: **Wow! That is really cool! Who knew that a fake disease could be such a hit? Eh, I guess if you're actually learning Latin, it can be boring. I guess it just looks cool to me because I don't know what it means or anything...Anyway, I'm glad that you liked this chapter as well! Lolz, the abuse just never ends for Ciel...*smirks* As for the whole pet thing, Sebastian always has a trick up his sleeve. Ahaha, the magic of Google. I try to make everything as accurate and correct as possible, but it's pretty koolio that you actually know what those things are! Thanks so much for another review, and I will try my best to update at a reasonable rate! ^-^**

sakura: **Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked the 7th chapter! I will definitely work hard to continue updating as quickly as possible without compromising the quality of the overall chapter. Thanks again for leaving a review! It's very much appreciated! ^-^**

Shirogane-san: **Hi hi! Lolz, I loved that line too! When I was rereading the chapter, I actually giggle-snorted at it (it's my weird version of a laugh...^-^'). Holy snap, I actually have a talent! And it's rare too! Lolz, thanks for that compliment! I'm trying to add as much details about their original characteristics as possible. It's quite easy to mold their personalities into their new roles now that I have the hang of things. But I'm glad you like the new contract and the overall chapter. Yes, Sebastian is known for his double meanings and "promises". Not all things are set in stone. *smirks* Anyway, thanks again for leaving a review! ^0^**

LittleCopperRidingHood15: **Oh my goodness, that would've been EPIC! Lolz, I should write an omake chapter at the end of this story and add in all the little crack-filled things that could've happened but couldn't have been included because it would've ruined the moment, etc. Darn...it would've been koolio to do an awesome moment dance...but silent cheering is awesome too! I'm glad that you liked this chapter so much! I wince every time I think about poor Ciel falling down the stairs...I really treat my characters badly...anyhoo, thanks again for reviewing! I really appreciate it! ^0^**

SebaCieLuver: **It's okay! At least you made an attempt at it! English is a very hard language...and I was still able to perfectly understand that you were saying. ^-^ Lolz, everybody likes torturing Ciel...especially Sebastian! *smirks* I'm very humbled to hear that you think so highly of this story! And yes, Ciel's past and such will be revealed in later chapters (but it will be some time before it's fully revealed...). *gulps nervously* Yeah...I'm excited about writing the first lemon...wish me luck on that! It will definitely be coming very soon. Thanks again for leaving a review in a ridiculously tough language! ^-^**

hitomi-chanchan: **I never thought of that! Lolz, but I totally see where that comes from! I love Misaki too! I'm glad that you likey my writing style so much. The compliment is much appreciated! It's great that you like Sebastian in this story as well. It's kinda refreshing to hear that...a lot of my readers think he's mean or think he's awesome but still hate him. Anyway, I will continue to update when I can. I just wanted to say thanks for leaving a review! You rock for doing so! ^0^**

Waga: **YAY! I'm happy that you liked this chapter even more than chapter 6! It makes me think that the story is steadily improving with each new chapter. *smiles* Anyhoo, thanks for leaving another review! I will update as soon as I can! ^-^**

Zozo-Chan: ***smirks* Oh, there will DEFINITELY be more smut later! *blushes at the thought* Ahem, and yes, they are quite adorable indeed! ^-^ I love them so much! They are definitely my fav anime characters (don't tell Sasuke and Naruto...they might kill me... O.o)! Thanks for complimenting/reviewing Chapter 7! I hope you like Chapter 8 as much as you liked the last one! Thanks again for reviewing! ^-^**

lilly: **AWESOME! It pleases me to hear that the story is improving! I would hate to lose readers along the way...so I'm glad that you like it more and more! I hope Chapter 8 isn't a huge disappointment for you. Thanks for leaving another review! It's much appreciated! ^-^**

Miko: **I totally forgot that moment...yet another SebaCiel moment to store in my mind for inspiration! Lolz, it's just swell that my story can make you grin and your review could make me smile! It's a win-win situation for us both! ^-^ As for the revision and smex thing...well, you'll just have to see in the next upcoming chapters! But I'm glad that you're willing to wait...and that you still think my story is awesome without the smex! ;D Thanks for leaving a review that made me smile again! ^0^**

Ailea Creed: **FINALLY someone catches onto that! I like slipping little ironic things like that in my stories, so it's really koolio that you caught that. *smiles* I'm glad that you think my story is the best role-reversal one so far! It really makes me more confident with my work...so thank you for that! I'm working super hard to keep them as IC as possible, so thanks for appreciating my effort so far. I will update as soon as I have time to produce a quality chapter, but I will definitely continue with this story! Thanks again! ^-^**

Assasin of Secrecy: **Lolz, that's koolio! Any time you or anyone else reviews makes me happy! Wow, I've always wanted a rubix cube (it's a huge craze at my school right now...), so congrats on getting one! Anyhoo, I'm glad to hear that you liked the chapter so much! It pleases me to hear that you think the story is getting better. As long as I can keep my readers hooked, I will continue to update and write. The worst thing I can imagine is writing something that bores the heck out of my readers... Lolz, and I don't mind the question. Yes, I am of the female gender and proud of it! We can both be fangirls together (thanks for sharing your gender with me...most people don't do that. ^-^). And hey, I beg at the end of every chapter for a review, so I don't mind if my reviewers beg for an update. It's a begging cycle I've got going on. ^-^ Thanks so much for reviewing again! I really appreciate it! ^0^**


	9. The Investigation

**J-C: Wah! This is the first time I haven't updated on a Monday *sobs* T_T**

**~Sasuke~ *rolls eyes* It's not that serious J-C...you are only two days behind...**

******Naruto: We know that you tried really hard to update. Remember, you lost an entire day of writing due to the July 4th holiday.**

**J-C: You guys are right! Seriously though, I do apologize for updating two days behind schedule. I had to spend one whole day with my family, which seriously depleted my writing time. Then, my dad went all psycho and has severely cut down my writing time. But the main reason is because...KUROSHITSUJI 2 FINALLY AIRED ON SATURDAY (with english subs ^-^)! And because I went all insane fangirl, I ended up rewatching the first episode 6 times instead of writing...sorry guys. :( Egads, I am so pumped about the new season! I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen the first episode yet, but I'm telling you guys, you definitely won't regret it! I love the new master and butler...not as much as Sebastian and Ciel, but my love for them is pretty close. ^-^**

******Naruto: J-C, you do realize that you still are somewhat limited for writing time...right?**

**J-C: Crappers! That means I better get this 9th chapter started as quickly as possible! But before that...**

**~Sasuke~ You're not gonna make it...**

**J-C: I wanted to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Guys, 38 reviews for one chapter? That's insane (and makes me insanely happy!)! I'm truly grateful; some fics don't even get that many reviews for the whole thing. So seriously, thanks so much! I also wanted to thank everyone who has viewed my dedication vid to you guys. I apologize for the timing...the site screwed it up. -_- But I'm glad so many of you guys liked it, and that some of you guys even subscribed to me!**

******Naruto: J-C...**

**J-C: Okay, I get it! Let's hurry up and get this chapter started before I'm permanently banned from the computer for the summer...**

******Disclaimer: Due to the limited amount of time I have for introducing this fic (and responding to my anonymous reviewers at the bottom of this fic), I do not have any time to steal ownership from Yana Toboso. So nope, I don't own Kuroshitsuji...**

******Warnings: Geez, I don't even have time to be witty with my warnings...there is language, strong sexual situations/themes, a brief scene of RAPE, major violence (again, gore and blood...), and a teensy bit of BOY x BOY love...**

**J-C: Even though my time is limited, I still don't want any confusion. ^-^' Thoughts look like this (**_You better hurry J-C..._**), regular dialogue and stuff looks like this (**J-C is gonna get banned...**), (XXX) stands for scene/time changes, emphasize looks like this (HURRY UP AND INTRODUCE BEFORE YOUR SUMMER IS RUINED!), and anything that has a number behind it has a side note...like this (**Grounded (1)**). Alrighty! I shall hurry and introduce this! Please enjoy the 9th chapter of One Hell of a Master!**

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**Chapter 9: The Investigation**

Sebastian silently cursed everyone and everything that had anything to do with the person sitting on the windowsill. He transferred all of his hate for the other man into his eyes as he continued to glare at him. The mysterious man looked away from the glaring demon to look at the staring boy beneath him. A sly smile spread on his face as he jumped off of his perch on the window into the room. He walked over to the bed and leaned down slightly so he was face level with Sebastian.

"I think I might have lied Sebastian. You wouldn't mind if I joined you two, right?" the man asked flirtatiously.

_Ah, I believe I am being reminded of what murderous intent feels like._

When nothing but silence answered the anonymous man's question, the man cocked his head to the side with a confused expression. "But this is really unexpected of you Sebastian. I never thought you were into underage boys…then again, your pets have been getting younger and younger. If I recall, the last pet you brought here was a girl of about 16 years…"

"Do you realize the situation you are in?" Sebastian asked tensely. The man straightened himself out and moved to sit beside the almost lovers. Ciel watched as the stranger sat down comfortably on the edge of the bed. The man crossed his legs before balancing his head on his hand.

"Hmmm, it seems that I have stepped in right before you were about to devour that young boy underneath you. I don't blame you for wanting to do so, he is quite beautiful," the man commented smartly. Sebastian narrowed his eyes at the now sitting man.

"You know this, and yet you are still here?" Sebastian asked tersely. The man laughed at the statement before dismissively waving a hand.

"You really haven't changed at all! You still treat your elders with disdain and irritation," the man said before laughing loudly. The man's statement caused Ciel to blink with confusion.

_Elders…it couldn't be! Is this man older than Sebastian? If that's the case, then that means…_

"Are you a demon as well?" Ciel asked suddenly. The man blinked before looking down at the halfway exposed child. A smirk similar to Sebastian's own spread on his face before he looked up at Sebastian.

"Ah, not only is this boy beautiful, he's also pretty sharp," the man commented. Ciel looked over at Sebastian before looking back at the unknown man.

"Who are you?" he asked bluntly. The new arrival leaped from the bed and bowed apologetically. Ciel was slightly confused by the man's reaction to his question, but he silently took it all in stride.

"Forgive me for my terrible manners. I know all about you, and yet you don't even know my identity. I am Yersinia Pestis, demon and servant to our lovely highness, Queen Victoria. You do not need to fear, I am no one suspicious. Since you are the pet of my good friend Sebastian, you may call me Sly. And you do not need to worry, you may continue with your fun. I won't interfere tonight…you have my regards," the demon now known as Sly said formally.

Sebastian looked down at Ciel before smirking. "Well, if he thinks it's okay," he said nonchalantly before leaning down to kiss Ciel…only to be stopped by Ciel's hand in his face. He scowled at the sex-craving demon and pushed Sebastian off of him.

"Get off of me…freakin' pervert," Ciel hissed angrily. Sebastian sighed before reluctantly complying with the angered butler. He moved off of the smaller male and sat on the side of the bed. Ciel tucked himself back in his pants with a slight blush before moving off of the bed to gather his clothing. As he slipped on his discarded clothing, he looked out of the corner of his eye at the new demon.

Sly was built similarly to Sebastian, but he looked completely different. If Ciel hadn't clued in to the fact that he was older than his master, he would've thought the man was a circus performer of some sort. Sly had messy blue-colored hair that spiked at the front ends, making it look like he had horns. His eyes were golden, and the pupils were slitted like a cat. His skin was pale, just like Sebastian's, and just as flawless. His face was a tad fuller than his master's, but it still had an angular look to it. He was currently dressed in a black suit with a gold-colored tie. Ciel noted that Sly's fingernails were black, just like Sebastian's. He wondered if both men wore nail polish…or if the nails were dead. Ciel shuddered at the thought as he finished buttoning up the dress shirt. Ciel fixed his eye patch so that it was fixed more securely on his face before he turned to fully face Sly.

"Sebastian never mentioned your name before Sly…where did that come from anyway? There is not an L in your actual name," Ciel pointed out. Sly grinned widely before crawling on the bed to sit beside Sebastian, who was currently sliding his glove back over his hand. The blue-haired man threw an arm around Sebastian's shoulder and pulled the shocked demon closer to him in a choke-like hold.

"From this guy right here of course. I was complaining to him about my name when he suddenly started calling me Sly…he said it stood for something," a thoughtful expression formed on the pale man's face before he turned to look down at his prisoner, "What does it stand for again?" he asked. Sebastian maneuvered out of the other demon's hold before he looked seriously at Ciel.

"**S**tupidity **L**oves **Y**ou," Sebastian said simply. Ciel blinked at the crude name and looked over at the other demon. Sly was looking over at Sebastian with a calculating look.

"Somehow it sounds completely different than the day you first called me that…" Sly said. Sebastian sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Sly, why exactly are you here?" Sebastian prompted tiredly. A serious expression formed on Sly's face before he reached into the pocket of his trousers. He sighed before producing a white envelope.

"Although I love visiting you Sebastian, this visit is strictly for business reasons. I must admit, you made my job so much more easier this time around…I didn't expect to see you in London so soon," Sly said before handing the letter to Sebastian. Sebastian looked at the letter for a moment before he raised an eyebrow at the seal on the back.

_Another incident so soon?_

The black-haired demon sighed before tucking the envelope into the pocket of his pants. "Well, I was here originally to settle personal matters…it seems as if there's more on my to-do-list than I once thought," Sebastian commented. Ciel blinked but showed no other expression as Sly suddenly appeared in front of him. Sly scrutinized the smaller boy for a moment before he turned to face Sebastian.

"It seems as if he's used to how we demons move…but are you sure that he's ready to handle the responsibilities of the Queen's dog?" Sly asked doubtfully. Ciel looked over at Sebastian, who was smirking at Sly's question.

"Although he does have a face like that, I am certain that he will be able to handle it…it intrigues me how you are worried for him. You usually don't show any care for my pets…is there something particularly disturbing about this assignment?" Sebastian asked curiously. Sly smirked at his friend's question before he turned to fully face Ciel. The butler's eyes narrowed slightly as the blue-haired demon placed a finger under his chin to tilt his face up. Ciel looked uncaringly into Sly's eyes as the demon appraised him.

"Oh my, it seems as if you have captured quite a soul here. I can see it clearly reflected in this boy's eye…it is quite tainted indeed. Yet, it appears as if he doesn't have any memories of his past. Such a shame…to have such a dark and absolutely delicious soul and not have any knowledge as to how or why it's in such a condition," a look of pity formed on Sly's face before it morphed into a look of cunning. He leaned down to whisper into Ciel's ear. "Have you ever seen a mutilated body before, hm? Have you even seen a dead body? Yes?...No? Heh, well then, you are in for quite a surprise…Ciel Phantomhive," Sly asked lowly. Ciel felt his heart stop for a moment at the sound of his name before he calmed himself down. Sebastian tilted his head at Sly and opened his mouth to say something.

"Actually, I have murdered two people by my own hand. I didn't take much time to look at their bodies, but I think being able to kill someone in cold-blood is more…sinister than merely looking at a dead body. What do you think, Sly?" Ciel asked mysteriously before he removed Sly's finger from his chin. A small smirk was present on the boy's face. Sly was completely taken by surprise. Sebastian smirked™ at Ciel's response.

_Well, that was to be expected from Ciel._

A high-pitched squeal unexpectedly filled the once silent room, and Ciel was thoroughly shocked by suddenly being enveloped in a bear hug. Sebastian blinked as Sly began twirling the shocked child around while balancing himself on one foot.

"Oh my goodness, you are just too precious! Sebastian, you are so lucky. How come you always get the best pets?" Sly stopped spinning the now dizzy Phantomhive to pout in the calmer demon's direction. A thoughtful look crossed the blue-haired male's face before he moved to be face to face with Sebastian. "Hey Sebastian, how about you give this pet to me? I haven't had a pet in two centuries!" Sly put a hand over his heart, inevitably dropping Ciel on the floor. "I swear I will take good care of him," the over-excited demon promised. Sebastian looked down at where Ciel was slowly picking himself up from the floor before locking eyes with his friend.

"Absolutely not," he stated coldly. Sly pouted and clasped his hands in front of himself.

"Oh c'mon Sebastian; give your best friend a break. Pretty please?" Sly begged before grabbing Ciel's arm and pulling him up to his chest. Poor Ciel was having major trouble breathing because of the force of the hug. Sebastian narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Since when were we best friends? And still, my answer is and always will be no," Sebastian answered before reaching in the pocket of his pants. He pulled out the letter and expertly tore the envelope open with a letter opener. He began looking over the contents of the letter, signaling to Sly that it was time for him to leave. Sly looked genuinely hurt by Sebastian's dismissal of their friendship. Ciel was beginning to struggle in the older demon's hold. Sly looked down at the person he had forgotten he was holding. He gasped with surprise and released the slowly dying boy.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry Ciel! I forgot I was holding you…and Sebastian, stop trying to act all cool in front of your pet. You know for a fact that I am your closest friend," Sly reprimanded. Sebastian looked over the top of the piece of the paper to coolly look at the blue-haired servant. Sly jumped at the look Sebastian was giving him. He nervously laughed before cupping a hand over his mouth and leaning down to whisper into Ciel's ear.

"Hey kid, if you ever get tired of working with the likes of him, my door is always open. Always…it does not matter the time. I don't mind introducing you to the concept of adulthood and its wond-,"

"Sly, don't you have somewhere to be?" Sebastian asked with an edge. Sly instantly straightened out and weakly smiled at the now glaring demon.

"Kidding, I was just kidding Sebastian!" Sly said quickly. He leaned down again to be level with Ciel's ear. "But seriously, if you ever need some guidance on what to do in the bedro-"

"Sly."

"Okay okay, I'm leaving!" he yelled out. He turned to fully face Ciel, who turned to face him warily. The well-dressed demon smirked before reaching for one of Ciel's limp hands. He brought it up and leaned down to gently kiss the top of it. Ciel could literally feel the glare that was being sent in their general direction. Sly pulled away but still held the butler's hand in his own. He smiled charmingly before saying, "It was my pleasure to finally get acquainted with you Ciel. I hope we see each other soon," Sly said in an equally charming tone of voice. Ciel felt slight warmth settle on his cheeks.

"A-Ah, yes. The pleasure is all mine," Ciel responded politely. The two locked eyes and Ciel felt his heart rate slightly pick up. He wasn't sure if that was because of the look Sly was giving him or because he was worried for everyone's safety in the room from how much more intense Sebastian's glare had become.

"Oh no, it appears as if my hold on this letter opener is slipping," Sebastian stated sweetly. Sly leaped away from the flushed butler and quickly moved over to the window. He flashed Ciel a flirtatious smile before he waved cheerily at the clearly pissed master.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later Sebastian. It was great to see you again!" Sly called out happily before disappearing through the window. Sebastian absentmindedly twirled the letter opener in his hand and continued to read over the Queen's letter. Ciel stared down at the top of his recently kissed hand before he wiped it off on his back. He glanced over at his silent master before running a hand through his hair.

"Well, your friend is certainly…interesting," Ciel commented awkwardly. Sebastian turned over the piece of paper to see if there was any more writing.

"I have no friends," Sebastian stated tonelessly. Ciel blinked at the demon's response.

"But he just said that you were his best frie-"

"That may be what Sly **believes**, but that is not the truth of the matter. I do not have any friends because I do not have the time or the desire to be close to anyone," Sebastian said before refolding the letter. Ciel was honestly shocked by Sebastian's uncaring response.

_He does not have the desire to be close to anyone…how odd is that? The fact that he is an immortal being should mean that he has plenty of time to befriend others… But this does prove one of my earlier observations. He truly does not wish to have any attachment with things of this world. But if that is the case, then why is he trying so hard to be closer to me? Could it be…?_

A sharp pain shot through Ciel's heart at the conclusion he came to. He clenched his fists by his side as his whole body stiffened. He fought with himself to calm down; it wasn't that serious. It wasn't as if he had cared about the other male in the first place.

_If that is true, then why do I feel this emotion? I'm not even sure what it is…all I know is I do not like it…It is making everything feel tight. Why is my throat tightening like this? Is it just me or is the room starting to heat up?_

Sebastian blinked as he stuffed the paper back into its original container. An emotion he hadn't sensed in a long time was slowly filling the room. He looked over to find his butler standing stiffly. His hands were clenching and unclenching at his side and his eyes were squeezed shut. Sebastian observed Ciel's slowly reddening face.

"Ciel…are you feeling alright?" Sebastian called out. As if snapped out of a trance, Ciel sharply inhaled and turned to fully look at the demon. Ciel looked completely lost for a moment before his senses quickly kicked in.

"I am fine," Ciel stated calmly. He looked down at the letter Sebastian had placed beside him on the bed. "Should I ask the clerk for a phone to tell Simon that our return will be delayed?" Ciel asked respectfully. Sebastian blinked at the now indifferent expression present on Ciel's face.

"That will not be necessary," Sebastian replied. Ciel slowly moved over to the bed and sat down on the side of the bed. He made sure to sit a distance away from Sebastian; he didn't want the male to get any ideas. He glanced over at his master before looking over at the wall in front of him.

"But master, you just got an assignment from the Queen. If I recall, the last time you got one of those letters, it took you two months to complete it," Ciel pointed out. Sebastian nodded as a small smile spread on his face.

"Well, there is no need to be hasty. If by the fourth day we haven't handled this…situation, then you may call Simon. But I have a feeling that will not be necessary," Sebastian responded calmly. Ciel looked at Sebastian with an incredulous look.

"What makes you so sure that you will be able to complete this assignment so quickly?" he asked. Sebastian turned to lock eyes with his slightly confused servant.

"Because this time, I have plenty of reliable…sources," he responded slyly. Ciel blinked at his master's response before motioning at the letter.

"What is the Queen's request anyway?" he asked with curiosity. Sebastian leaned back slightly on his hands and looked up at the ceiling.

"There has been a string of gruesome murders taking place in London. The culprit has yet to be caught, which is beginning to cause a stir of worries amongst the civilians…and the Queen of course. The police have no suspects at the moment, but they have discovered a pattern from all of the murderer's victims," Sebastian paused to look at his interested butler, "All of the bodies are former…ladies of the night, if you understand that meaning," Sebastian said tacitly. Ciel nodded with understanding.

"Not only that, the ladies are all from the same…house. The final pattern that has been discovered is the state in which their bodies have been found in. Although all the bodies are mutilated, and some are even missing internal organs, there is a similarity." Sebastian suddenly reached out and placed three fingers on the top right of Ciel's chest, "There are always three gashes that begin from here," Sebastian's fingers followed a diagonal path directly from the top right of Ciel's chest to the top left of the boy's hip, "and continues unstopped until here." Ciel flinched slightly when Sebastian removed his hand from his hip and gently wrapped it around his neck. "And, the victims have bruising shaped like fingers in the neck area, suggesting that they were being strangulated while simultaneously being slashed. Clearly, that tell-tale sign proves that the same person or persons has committed these murders," Sebastian finished before removing his hand completely from Ciel's body.

A thoughtful look formed on Ciel's face. "To me, it sounds like a case of revenge of an unsatisfied customer. But, the weird thing is how the ladies are being killed. What type of weapon has three blades? It almost as if the killer has claws or something…like a bear," Ciel commented. Sebastian smirked before rubbing under his chin.

"That's where the police are stumped. They have taken the time to give our killer a nickname based on those three gashes," Sebastian said. Ciel blinked and looked at the smirking man.

"A nickname?"

"Yes…they call him 'Jack the Ripper'," Sebastian stated in a slightly eerie voice. Ciel shuddered at the nickname.

"Jack the Ripper…well, I guess that is an appropriate name for this killer. But I don't understand, if the police don't have any clues on the murderer, what exactly are we supposed to do?" Ciel asked. Sebastian chuckled at Ciel's question.

"That is exactly why we have been called upon. Scotland Yard is merely a surface world police force. The Queen's Watchdog, however, operates in both the surface and the underworld. Our highness has suggested the possibility that this may have a connection with someone from the underworld. If there are any clues on Jack, then it will most likely be found in the underworld. With my sources, we should have no difficulty in finding this killer," Sebastian said confidently before moving from the bed. He stretched before turning to his thinking partner.

"Well, it seems as if now would be the best time for us to turn in, don't you think? Tomorrow will be even busier than today," Sebastian commented off-handedly. Ciel nodded once before suddenly darting over to the desk where his temporary night-clothing was located and dashing into the bathroom. Sebastian chuckled at Ciel's suspicion.

_Things may not have gone as planned tonight, but there is always tomorrow, no?_

**XXX**

Ciel moaned softly before snuggling deeper into the pillow. Even though he was technically awake, he didn't want Sebastian to know that. He could tell it was fairly early in the morning; he hated himself for actually waking up so early. The sound of the bed creaking caused Ciel's ears to perk up. No other sound filled the room; this slightly confused the "sleeping" butler. He cracked an eye open and scanned the area in front of him. When no perverted demon masters appeared in his line of sight, Ciel's curiosity went into overdrive.

He closed his eyes and rolled over so he was facing the side where Sebastian should've been resting. He slightly opened his eye to where it still appeared as if he was sleeping in case Sebastian had merely rolled over. The sight of the perfectly made sheets confused Ciel.

_Am I losing my mind? I swore I heard the bed move…and Sebastian was definitely resting atop of the bed last night…it almost appears as if he had never been there at all._

Ciel yawned before slowly sitting up in the bed. He glanced over at the open bathroom door; the only sound that came from there was the sound of dripping water. He scratched behind his head and shrugged his shoulders before turning over to move back into his previous sleeping position. He nestled underneath the comfortable sheets and closed his eyes.

"Good morning Ciel," Sebastian said charmingly. Ciel's eyes snapped open at the sound of the demon's voice. He simultaneously shrieked at the sight of his master and pulled the covers of the bed over his nightshirt clad body. The demon was kneeling on the floor beside the side of the bed. He was fully dressed in his daytime clothing, which consisted of black pants and a black overcoat, covering the rest of his clothing. Sebastian cocked his head to the side at Ciel's reaction to his appearance. His butler's eyes were wide and full of shock and surprise. The demon was slightly confused by the sheets covering his butler's dressed body.

"H-H-How the heck? You know what, never mind…where the hell were you?" Ciel asked in a tone full of accusation. Sebastian blinked at his butler's attitude change before he reached into the pocket of his coat. While his master rummaged in his pocket, Ciel slowly lowered the sheets from the bed and calmed himself down. He had truly been surprised by the sight of the other male.

_I really need to get used to him appearing in seemingly empty rooms…_

Ciel's nose suddenly picked up a flowery scent. He sniffed a few times before he sneezed. Sebastian chuckled as the object that had the scent was revealed. Ciel's face instantly broke out in an embarrassed flush. He glared at his emotionless master.

"Master…what exactly…is that?" he asked tensely. Sebastian twirled the pink and white-lace edged piece of a garter around on his finger before looking at his tense and embarrassed servant.

"It is a garter…surely you know-"

"Of course I do, you pervert! Do you not have any shame?" Ciel exploded. Sebastian blinked at his partner's reaction to the item twirling on his finger. Ciel shook his head before deeply breathing.

"So, instead of thinking about possible suspects or even about the whereabouts of Father Gregory, you have been out carousing with other women…" Ciel stated coldly. Sebastian chuckled, causing Ciel to whip his head in his direction. "What exactly is so funny about you whoring yourself out to complete strangers?" Ciel asked angrily.

"I was not out carousing with women…I was gathering eyewitness reports from the ladies of the house where the prostitutes resided before their deaths. One of the more…flirtatious of my sources gave this to me as a free ticket to rent a room for a night," Sebastian explained calmly. Ciel blinked at his master's explanation. Embarrassed at his outburst, Ciel quickly turned to look out the window Sly had climbed through last night. Sebastian chuckled at his butler's silence before a small smirk formed on his face. He put the garter back into his pocket and reached out a hand to gently grab Ciel's chin. He turned the embarrassed butler's face so that he was facing him.

"My, if I didn't know any better, I would think that you were jealous at the thought of me being with other women," Sebastian commented slyly. Ciel's eyes widened slightly as his heart thumped at Sebastian's accusation. He narrowed his eyes before slapping Sebastian's hand away from his face.

"Not in the slightest…what do I have to be jealous of? In fact, I pity any woman that has **you** as her company," Ciel commented coldly. Sebastian shook his head at Ciel's stubbornness. It was clear from the amount of envy that was filling the room that Ciel was very jealous.

"Ah, I see. Allow me to properly apologize for the misunderstanding," Sebastian stated seriously. Ciel's heart raced as Sebastian gently kissed him. The thought never even crossed his mind to pull away and slap his master. Instead, the boy's eyes fluttered shut at the feel of the other man's lips moving against his own. Sebastian could feel the envy that was once filling the room quickly dissipating. When it was completely gone, Sebastian pulled away from the kiss. Sebastian smirked as Ciel's lips slightly followed after his own after he broke the kiss.

Ciel quickly opened his eyes and leaned away from his smirking master. He didn't even have the heart to glare at the demon. He looked away from Sebastian and furiously wiped his just-kissed lips. Sebastian moved from his position on the floor and made his way over to the door of their room.

"Now that that's out of the way, it is time to move onto less pleasant affairs. Thanks to my sources, I was able to gather some background information on the ladies that have been murdered. Not only that, shortly after I departed from the house, another soul was released from a living body," Sebastian said in a business-like tone. Ciel blinked at Sebastian's last statement. He looked at the back of his master.

"Master, are you saying…"

"Yes. Jack the Ripper has struck again," Sebastian responded.

**XXX**

"Alright everyone, move along now. There's nothing to see here," an official-sounding voice called out. Sebastian and Ciel merely observed from the outskirts of the crowd. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on. It appeared as if word of Jack the Ripper's latest victim had quickly spread throughout the city.

Ciel looked up at Sebastian, who merely nodded. The duo maneuvered through the anxious crowd until they reached the front. The doorway to what Ciel assumed was the house of the prostitutes was currently open and surrounded by London police. A man in a brown trench coat was gently pushing the people at the front away from the crime scene. Ciel followed after his master as he walked right past the trench coat wearing man.

"Hey! You can't go through here! This is the scene of a crime," the man called out. Sebastian paused before digging into the pocket of his pants. He turned around and held the envelope with the Queen's seal in between his index and middle finger. The man's face instantly lit up.

"Ah Sebastian! I didn't know that was you," the investigator commented apologetically. Sebastian charmingly smiled before placing the letter back into his pocket.

"That is quite alright Aberlain," Sebastian responded kindly. Ciel looked over the investigator warily before he attempted to look over the three policemen standing in the doorway. Aberlain laughed at the butler.

"I didn't know that you had such a cute nephew Sebastian. But do you think it is wise to bring him here? Good little boys and girls shouldn't be in places like this," the policeman said. Ciel huffed and glared at the curly-haired man.

"Right, so where is the victim's corpse?" he asked uncaringly. Aberlain balked at Ciel's question.

"Corpse? What are you talking about? Sebastian, don't tell me you told your nephew about-"

"Ah, Ciel is not my nephew. He is my butler, and he is assisting me with this investigation," Sebastian corrected. Aberlain's eyes nearly popped out of his head at the boy's identity.

"He's your butler? But he's only a child!" the man pointed out.

"That may be, but he has the maturity level and intelligence of a well-educated adult. He is a special child and with his help, I will be able to solve this case in half the time," Sebastian said. Aberlain blinked before weakly smiling down at the bored looking boy.

"Even so…" he began weakly. Suddenly, an angry shout could be heard from inside the building.

"Aberlain! What do you think you're doing?" a gruff voice hollered. Ciel's eyes moved to the new figure that appeared in front of the three men at the door. The newcomer had a severe-looking face, and his facial hair grew in an interesting way. The man glared at Sebastian over the top of his wire-rimmed glasses.

"What are **you** doing here Earl Michaelis?" he asked with venom. Sebastian smiled charmingly before once again pulling out his letter from the Queen.

"Ah, Sir Arthur Randall. I am merely here to save Scotland Yard from further embarrassment by solving a case that has left your incompetence on full display. It is a mess I intend to clean up as quickly and neatly as possible," Sebastian responded charmingly. Randall growled at Sebastian's insult before looking down at Ciel. He sneered at the eye patch wearing boy before turning to Aberlain.

"Well, it appears as if the Dog has brought along a puppy. Heh, well I'm sure that the Earl and his butler know a thing or two about messes…**his** kind leaves them behind all the time," he commented smartly. Ciel rolled his eyes at the bad comeback while Aberlain weakly laughed. Sebastian showed no reaction to his statement, which only irritated the policeman even more. A slip of paper that was being held in Aberlain's hand attracted Sebastian's attention. The demon reached out and gently plucked it from his hand. His eyes scanned over the writing while he read the information out loud.

"Name, Catharine Eddowes. Murdered in the East End of London on June 30, 1887 (1). Body found to be mutilated and missing a heart. Three gashes on her torso…" Sebastian's reading was cut off by the paper being snatched out of his hand. Randall growled at the unfazed demon before he tucked the paper in the pocket of his trench coat.

"I'd hate to disappoint you, but if you came here to look over the remains, that will not be possible. The body is being held under police jurisdiction until the crime scene has been thoroughly searched and documented. **I** will let you know as soon as you can begin your investigation on this woman," Randall said in an almost mocking tone. Ciel glanced at Sebastian out of the corner of his eye. His master was showing no readable reaction to being denied access to the crime scene.

Sebastian reached up and touched the brim of his top hat. Ciel watched as he removed the hat from his head and slightly bowed his head. He replaced the item and smiled politely. "I thank you for informing me. I trust that you will let me know when the body will be available as soon as possible, no?" Sebastian asked. Randall merely grunted before turning around and heading back into the building. Sebastian smiled at Aberlain and looked down at Ciel. "I believe we have worn out our welcome. We will be departing now," Sebastian stated before turning on his heel. Aberlain weakly smiled at the emotionless boy before he focused his attention back on the anxious crowd.

Ciel followed behind his completely calm master as they walked away from the latest crime scene. "Master, how come this time you told them the truth about my relationship with you?" he asked curiously.

"Well, they already know my identity as the Queen's Watchdog. It would be pointless to lie to them about your position," Sebastian responded. Ciel looked back over his shoulder just before they turned the corner.

"Still, Sir Randall should have allowed you to look at the corpse. You have direct orders from the Queen to conduct an investigation on this case. He is hindering our effort," Ciel commented. Sebastian smirked and looked over his shoulder at the slightly irritated child.

"He is not hindering our investigation in the slightest. London is a fairly large city; there are other places to analyze bodies," Sebastian replied mysteriously.

**XXX**

Ciel looked up at the sign hanging over the drab looking building. The dark-purple sign simply read, 'Undertaker'. He glanced over at his now frowning master. "Is something wrong master?" Ciel asked politely. Sebastian shook his head and sighed.

"Not really; I normally only come here as a last resort. I did not think that I would be back here so soon," he commented before moving to the door. Ciel moved in front of his master and politely opened the door for him. Sebastian wordlessly walked through and Ciel followed shortly after.

The inside of the building was much more creepy and drab than the outside. Throughout the dank and gray room, there were several coffins. Some were open, while others were closed. There was a figurine showing the top half of the inside of a human body proudly displayed on one of the shelves located behind a desk. The other shelves were ordained with beakers and test tubes. Some of the beakers contained actual organs while others were filled with strange colored fluids. The place was covered in cobwebs and dust, and it smelled of death and formaldehyde. Suddenly, a slightly high-pitched chuckle rang out in the room.

"Ahaha! So the Earl has come to finally pick out his own coffin! I am delighted, absolutely delighted," the croaky voice cackled. Ciel watched with slight fear as one of the coffins that was leaning against the wall began to move. The cover to the deathbed slowly moved over to the side. Before long, a man with gray skin and even grayer hair was revealed. He was dressed in black robes and a slightly torn top hat. Ciel noted that the man had grotesquely long fingernails, and that the majority of the top half of his face was covered by his hair.

Sebastian shook his head at the man's words. "You should know that I would not come here to handle such affa-" Sebastian was cut off by the man placing his fingers over his lips. Sebastian's eyes narrowed slightly at the other man's touch, but he made no other visible reaction.

"Ah ah, I know why the Earl comes here. But for you to visit me so soon," the man cut himself off with a creepy giggle. When the man's small laughing fit was over, he focused his attention on the child butler. He raced over to the small child and cupped the boy's face with his knobby hands. "Ohehe, this is new. Such a young body…have you come here to be made beautiful on your final day?" the gray-haired man asked. Ciel was rendered speechless for a moment before he glared at the older male.

"Who exactly are you?" he asked with a hint of hostility. The man released his hold on Ciel's face and opened his arms.

"I am the owner of this fine establishment, hehehe! I am the one who makes my guests look beautiful before they are sent off to another world-"

"Undertaker, have you had any new "guests" lately?" Sebastian cut in sharply. A small frown formed on the Undertaker's face before a slow smile spread on his scarred face.

"Ah ah ah, Earl; you know that I can't give away my guests' identities so easily. It is such a sad and grotesque affair, I need a little…humor," the Undertaker said before his breathing began to pick up. Ciel raised an eyebrow at the man's need.

"Humor?" he asked with slight disbelief. The Undertaker placed his fingers over the lower half of his face before he creepily giggled.

"Yes, a first-rate laugh is what I want. That should be a small price to pay don't you think Earl?" the Undertaker said before wrapping his arms around himself and spinning in a small circle.

"What a weirdo," Ciel commented with disdain. Sebastian said nothing; he couldn't disagree with his butler's statement. The demon moved in front of Ciel and tightened one of the gloves on his hands.

"I will need for you to exit the room Ciel," Sebastian stated. Ciel looked confused at his master's request. Sebastian turned his head to face the confused servant. "No matter what, don't come back inside until I tell you it is alright," he finished with a warning tone of voice. Ciel blinked but reluctantly followed his master's instructions.

Ciel stood awkwardly out on the sidewalk. Everything was deathly quiet; Ciel began to wonder if Sebastian was killing the creepy man. Suddenly, an ear-shattering shriek followed by howls of laughter filled the once quiet air. Several people that were walking on the sidewalk turned to appraise the sound. When no one could find the source, they all moved on with their business. The butler gaped with disbelief at the building where the laughter had just come from. The sign was now hanging by a corner due to the force of the laugh. The door opened to reveal Ciel's smiling master.

"Alright, you may come back inside Ciel," he said charmingly before turning to go back into the room. Ciel speechlessly walked back into the weird building to find the Undertaker's head resting on the top of the desk with a small trail of drool coming from the side of his mouth. He was still gasping with laughter even after Sebastian and Ciel had found a comfortable perch on the top of a closed (and hopefully empty) coffin.

"Ohoho, hehehe! I haven't…ahaha…laughed like this in such, hahaha, a long time," the Undertaker choked out before breaking into another fit of giggles. Ciel and Sebastian looked at each other for a moment before they focused their attention on the weirdo in front of them. When the gray-haired male had finally calmed down and had served them their tea in some of his spare beakers, Sebastian began his questioning.

"Undertaker, have you had any "guests" in the past few weeks since my departure?" Sebastian began. Ciel looked down at the brown liquid in the beaker and contemplated whether he would die if he drank from the container.

"Ah, I've been flooded with people that seriously needed to be made beautiful for their final day. Some were more vivid and lively than others…" the man trailed off as he held the figurine in his arms. He stroked the side of the figure's face before he continued talking. "But many have been missing some essentials, so I had to add these items from my storage of organs that I have been studying to make them as perfect as possible," the Undertaker finished. The man's final sentence was what made Ciel decide to forgo tea for the day. Sebastian nodded thoughtfully before setting his own beaker of tea over to the side. The Undertaker placed the figure back on the shelf before he moved over to the frowning Phantomhive.

"But, all of my recent guests have been missing the same thing. It has greatly exhausted my supply," the Undertaker said in a slightly forlorn tone of voice.

"And what exactly were they missing?" Sebastian pressed. The gray-haired man grinned widely before moving to stand behind Ciel. He mimicked Sebastian's movement from last night by placing three fingers on the top right of Ciel's chest and moving diagonally to the hip. He used his other hand and placed it in front of his throat. He made a slicing motion with one finger, imitating the motion of slitting someone's throat.

"Not only was a mark left for all eternity on my guests, they lost the ability to speak as they tasted their own blood laced with silver. Also," the Undertaker moved his free hand from Ciel's hip to where his heart was located and made a twisting motion, "the core of their being was removed with no care or style. Such a beautiful end if you were to ask me," the gray-haired man finished cheerily before moving away from Ciel. The boy mentally shuddered at the mental image and at the feel of the other man's hands on his body.

"You're saying the victims' throats were slit, their torsos were slashed, and their hearts were missing?" Sebastian asked carefully. The Undertaker nodded once while still smiling. Sebastian mentally filed away the new information before he moved from his perch. Ciel stood as well.

"Well, I believe that is all the information we will need," Sebastian said as he turned to move to the exit.

"Earl, your devotion to Her Highness is quite admirable. She has a collar wrapped around your neck; now, it looks as if you are passing it onto your butler as well. It intrigues me why someone like you would be so willing to do her bidding. Hehehe, I am looking forward to making a custom made coffin in the near future," the Undertaker stated darkly. Ciel's eyes narrowed slightly at the older male's words before he turned to open the door for his master. Sebastian stood still for a moment as he tried to decipher the gray man's words. When nothing came to his mind, Sebastian smiled politely, and exited the building. Ciel followed shortly after. The last thing the butler heard was the Undertaker's hysterical giggling.

**XXX**

There had been many times when Ciel had contemplated killing his master.

Never had the feeling been as strong as it was at this moment.

They had returned to the hotel immediately after speaking with the Undertaker. Sebastian had immediately gone over to the desk to write down everything that he had just learned. Ciel had sat on the bed with boredom for literally hours while his master mentally worked out motives and possible suspects. He hadn't even looked up when the hotel clerk had brought their evening meal. Ciel received the food and moved over to his master to offer him something to drink or eat. He also wanted to peek at what he had been writing so far. The sight of the blank piece of paper both amazed and angered the child butler. Sebastian had waved him away, and Ciel had grumpily sat on the bed and ate the food in silence. Just as he had finished the last bite of the pork, Sebastian had suddenly gotten up from his seat. He had turned to him with a small smile and had said as if there was nothing wrong or shameful about it, "Let's go and enjoy the company of some women."

Now, they were standing right outside the building where Scotland Yard had just been only hours ago. The area was completely deserted except for a lone male moving out from the door of the building.

_Yes, it appears to be business as usual…_

"Master, **what** are we doing here?" Ciel asked tensely. Sebastian looked completely relaxed and even cheerful as he looked down at his murderous butler.

"I already informed you; to enjoy the company of some women," he stated.

_If I had a knife…or a gun…_

Sebastian moved to the entrance of the building and opened the door with a flourish. Ciel hissed from his spot, "I am underage! I cannot go in there!" Sebastian shook his head and reached into his pocket. He pulled out the garter from earlier, causing Ciel to instantly flush.

"As long as you are with me, you have just as much access as I do," Sebastian replied before motioning for Ciel to follow him.

_This is the perfect location to finish him. It is a dark alleyway…everyone will think that Jack did it…I can get off scot-free!_

Ciel sighed and reluctantly followed after his demon master. His nose was instantly assaulted with flowery incense, and his ears picked up the sound of giggling and hushed conversations. He felt dirty just from being in the building. There were doors on both sides of the hall; some of them were closed with a garter similar to the one Sebastian had hanging on the knob. Others were open, and well-endowed women dressed in slinky yet respectable dresses stood in the doorways. The area was dimly lit but Ciel knew that the women could clearly see that he was a child.

Sebastian started down the hall, and Ciel followed closely behind him. The first women they walked by merely gave Sebastian a saucy wink. But the further they went down the hall, the more flirtatious and shameless the women became.

"Hey good-looking! If you're looking for a good time, I've got everything you need…right…here," one woman said in a sultry voice before she leaned down to reveal more of her cleavage. Ciel's eyes nearly popped out of his head before he turned to look the other way.

"Back off! He's mine…or at least he was a few nights ago…" a brunette women trailed off suggestively as she poked out her leg to reveal the slit in the side of her dress that revealed everything up to her buttocks. Ciel's face burst out in a fiery blush, and he nearly dashed out of the building and back to the hotel.

"Oh come now Maryann, you have to share. I haven't had a good one in months," a pouting blonde whined as she pretty much humped the side of the doorway. A red head suddenly dashed from her doorway to latch onto Sebastian's arm. She rubbed the side of her face on the demon's limb before locking eyes with Sebastian.

"Forget about the others…they have already had their fun. I've yet to experience another man…" the woman complained before leaning up to attempt to kiss the stoic man.

_That does it,_ Ciel thought angrily. Sebastian was surprised when Ciel moved between him and the female to gently but firmly pushed the female off of Sebastian. The woman glared at Ciel, but the boy shot her a look that screamed death. She instantly backed off. Ciel whirled on the shocked demon and grabbed his hand. He dragged him to an open doorway that was currently unoccupied. He yanked the garter from Sebastian's hand and angrily placed it over the doorknob before he pulled Sebastian into the empty room and slammed the door.

Ciel had his palms flat on the door as he panted heavily. It wasn't from exertion; it was from the anger he felt for the man behind him. Sebastian stared at his panting servant for a moment before a smirk settled on his face. The demon moved to stand directly behind the boy and leaned down to whisper into his ear.

"It seems as if someone is jealous…" he said tauntingly. Ciel clapped a hand over his ear and whirled around to face the smirking man. He glared at Sebastian.

"As if! I already told you that I do not care…it was just the atmosphere out there," Ciel added in quickly. Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

"The atmosphere?" he asked mockingly.

"Do not tell me you were not even a tad bit embarrassed! It was shameful how those women were acting…" Ciel trailed off when he realized how idiotic he sounded.

_Of course these women are going to act that way…they are prostitutes!_

Sebastian smirked™ when realization finally hit Ciel. The butler looked away with embarrassment, and the demon looked around at the empty room before his eyes locked on the bed. "Well, you have dragged me into a room, and you have used my free night at this establishment. I expect to have a good time. I am sure that you have the credentials to do a thorough and pleasing job…" Sebastian trailed off suggestively. Ciel blushed and mentally cursed himself. He had pretty much walked right into a trap. Sebastian used a finger and gently tilted Ciel's blushing face up. He leaned forward to place a kiss on the boy's trembling lips.

"Father! You came after all!" an excited voice squealed. Both males froze and locked eyes with each other. Ciel mouthed the word, 'Father?' and made a motion as if he were holding a baby. Sebastian shrugged his shoulders and placed a finger over his lips. Ciel nodded and silently moved away from the door. Sebastian expertly opened the door a crack so that he could see out into the hallway. Ciel ducked under the other male's body so that he could take a peek as well.

"I cannot believe you came again! I would think that you would be busy…you know, taking care of your children," a woman tittered before she giggled. Neither Sebastian nor Ciel could see the male in question, but the demon had an idea of who they were addressing.

"Think about it Stephanie…if any children need taking care of, it is us!" another female called out.

"After all, we are the most sinful of them all. We need your blessing Father Gregory!" the red head from earlier called out. Ciel's jaw nearly slammed into the floor beneath it at the familiar sounding name. He backed away from the door with surprise and shock clearly written on his face. Sebastian wordlessly closed the door as the priest made his way closer to their room.

"Father Gregory…he is a fake!" Ciel hissed angrily. _And this is the guy who told me that sins of the flesh were the worst kinds. Yet here he is, enjoying all the flesh he can!_

Sebastian whispered from his position by the door, "That is why we did not continue to pursue him last night…I figured he was going to come here, and it would be pointless to wait until he finished his…business." Ciel frowned and opened his mouth to comment.

"Oh Mary Jane Kelly…my child, you have sinned heavily. You must be blessed immediately," Father Gregory stated in a serious voice. Sebastian cracked the door open and watched as the priest and the red head from earlier moved into the unoccupied room directly across from them. The girl was giggling and so focused on the priest that she only closed the door partway.

"Please Father, call me Marie Jeanette (2)," the woman said in a flirtatious tone. Sebastian made a motion for Ciel to come to the door. The butler wordlessly moved back into his position. They couldn't see the actual inhabitants of the room, but they saw their shadows on the wall from the candle that was lighting the room.

"My child, you have been sinned upon many times…" Father Gregory murmured softly. Marie tittered at the priest's accusation.

"Yes Father…I am such a sinful child of God. You must punish me Father," the prostitute said suggestively. The spying males watched as Marie's shadow bent over something. A hand rose up and a resounding smack filled the air. A delighted yelp sounded immediately afterwards.

"Oh Father! I am such a bad girl! Cleanse me Father!" Marie yelled gleefully before another smack filled the air. Ciel's face slowly reddened at the woman's yelps and the priest's dirty responses. He felt embarrassed to even be witnessing such an intimate time between two people, but he was too fascinated by the fact that the priest was a liar.

_This is perfect blackmail for Sebastian to use during his negotiations with the priest. If he brings this up, the deal between them will be off…I can already imagine the look on his face when his secret is revealed._

The sound of cloth being ripped cut through Ciel's thoughts. His eyes widened as he saw the silhouette of a dress being thrown into the air. He watched wordlessly as the two figures got onto the silhouette of the bed. The two shapes morphed together for a moment, and Ciel calculated that they were kissing. The figures regained their shapes and a resounding moan filled the air.

"Oooh Father…you are so amazing!" Marie squealed. The sounds of sucking filled the air, and Sebastian could clearly see a head near where he assumed the girl's breasts were located. The head broke away after a few minutes.

"Are you a whore Marie Jeanette?" Father Gregory asked lustfully. Ciel could see Marie's head nod up and down several times.

"Yes Father! I am such a dirty whore! Cleanse me Father!" she shrieked again. Ciel looked away when the priest's intimate part was outlined on the wall. Sebastian continued to watch unabated as the shadow of the woman's legs spread on the wall. A squelching sound filled the air; it was clear to Ciel what was going on. He looked up at his master and kicked back to get his attention. The nudge on his leg made Sebastian look away from what was happening across the hall.

"I think that is enough Master. We shouldn't be spying on two people when they are committing such acts," Ciel whispered. Sebastian blinked and sighed; there went his temporary form of entertainment. He nodded once and the partners moved away from the door. Sebastian moved to close the door when something caught his attention.

"Do you like being fucked like a whore? Huh Marie?" the priest yelled out. A delighted squeal filled the air as the sounds of the creaking bed joined the melody of gasps, grunts, moans, and shrieks.

"Y-Yes, aha! Yes Father! Fuck me like the…ahn…dirty whore I am!" Marie screamed out.

"That's right…you're…nothing but a dirty…whore!" the priest hollered again. Ciel kicked Sebastian's leg again to get him to hurry up and close the door already. The boy was already thoroughly embarrassed. He didn't need actual images to be imprinted into his mind. Sebastian looked down at his blushing butler and placed a finger over his lips. Ciel narrowed his eyes and kicked the demon again. Sebastian ignored his servant and focused on the sound of the priest's voice. Something seemed to be off about it…

"So…dirty! You disgust…me! You and…every other whore in…this world!" the priest shouted. Sebastian knew it; the man was for some strange reason becoming angry. Ciel was about to literally drag his perverted master away from the door.

"A-Ah…Ow! F-Father…s-s-slow down, ah! You…You're h-hurting me!" Marie yelled out. The priest seemed to pay no attention to the woman's now pained cries. In fact, they seemed to only spur him on.

"OOOW! Father, stop it! Aaah! Somebody…FATHER! No…more! I d-don't like this! I don't…want it anymore! Have mercy Father!" Marie screamed out in pure pain.

"HELP! Sisters…a-ah! Help me!" Marie's voice was suddenly cut off. The sounds of her struggling against the priest filled the silent hall. Still, not a single person came to her aid. Ciel's eyes widened in horror at what he saw next. The priest raised his hand; Ciel could clearly see the outline of a knife. The man sliced down and a gurgling scream filled the air. Some blood splattered onto the wall, staining the priest's silhouette in red.

Ciel froze as fear began to well inside of him. He was confused and frightened; why did the scene in front of him seem so familiar? It was almost as if he had experienced and seen such things before. Ciel clutched at where his heart was located as he was hypnotized by the scene before him. Sebastian was stunned by what he was witnessing. The sound of a pleased groan drowned out the choking sounds.

"A dirty whore like yourself must be cleansed. The only way to do that is to get right to the…heart of your sin," the priest yelled out before manic laughter sounded from the room. Ciel could see Marie's hands rising up in a way to fend off the psychotic man. Suddenly, Ciel's world went black. He nearly screamed before it hit him that Sebastian was covering his eyes. Ciel instantly moved to remove the man's hand from his face.

"Don't look Ciel. You mustn't look," Sebastian said seriously. Ciel didn't heed his words; Sebastian's hand went lax at what he witnessed next, giving Ciel the opportunity to slide the hand up so he could see.

He cursed himself for doing so.

He was just in time to see the priest raise his hand up. Only this time, it looked like it exploded. A shower of blood rained on the wall, and Ciel could feel the beginnings of bile rising in his throat. The butler and master watched in horror as the man's hand twisted, snapped, and bubbled before three matching lines rose up from the priest's hand. One final scream escaped Marie's lips before she was silenced forever. The sound of crunching bones and squelching blood filled the air. Ciel did his best to swallow the rising vomit that was beginning to fill his throat. Sebastian was back to his normal collected self; he should've seen this coming.

The horror didn't end there.

The sound of something being ripped and torn apart crashed into Ciel's ears. Then, he saw it. He watched as Father Gregory leaned back as if he was pulling on something. The object looked as if it was attached to the mutilated body; Ciel's eyes widened. The lines snapped and even more blood showered the wall and room. The object was held proudly in the priest's hand; it was still beating. Ciel and Sebastian watched as Father Gregory took a huge bite out of Marie's heart before he began devouring it.

Ciel couldn't take it anymore.

Ciel covered his mouth and hurled everything that he had in his stomach onto his hand and the floor. The sounds of vomiting intermixed with the eating sounds in the next room. Sebastian froze as he saw Father Gregory's silhouette pause in his actions. Sebastian barely had enough time to blink. He grabbed his butler, whipped him around, and tackled Ciel to the floor as three claws ripped through the doorway. The entire building shook at the force of the impact. Ciel was shaking violently as he watched the claws retract from the room. A silence filled the air before the sounds of eating once again filled it.

Ciel blinked when he felt something drip on his face. He brought a hand up to his cheek and gasped at the sight of blood. He looked at his master with wide eyes. The side of Sebastian's head was dripping with blood. Not only that, his shoulder and the top half of his arm were injured as well. Ciel could see the three gashes clearly. If his master had only been a second later…

"Master! You're injured!" Ciel cried out softly. Sebastian winced as he moved off of Ciel before he smiled faintly.

"It is nothing to worry about…it is just a scratch," Sebastian responded nonchalantly. Ciel shook his head and leaned up to touch the side of his master's head. His hand trembled at the sight of his entire palm being covered in blood. Sebastian grabbed his servant's wrist.

"Ciel, you must remain calm and focus on more important matters. I just hit my head on the side of the dresser. I will be alright. Now, we need to get out of her-" Sebastian instantly cut himself off. Ciel's eyes widened at the sight of the shadow in the hall. He could clearly see Father Gregory's claws dripping with blood. Sebastian breathed in deeply and looked around the partly destroyed room to look for a possible escape route. Just as the demon's eyes locked on the solitary window in the room, the floorboards right outside of their room creaked.

Both Sebastian and Ciel froze at the sound. Even with Sebastian's inhuman speed, there was still a possibility that his butler would be injured if he attempted to escape now. They remained motionless and didn't dare to breathe. Sebastian prepared himself to fight the man, while Ciel silently thought of a way to escape. Father Gregory looked up and down the hallway before peeking into the room. Sebastian was glad that he had chosen to wear his black trench coat. As long as the man didn't actually step into the room, they would be safe and completely hidden.

Ciel had never felt so relieved to be left in a room alone with Sebastian. Sebastian watched out of the corner of his eye as the priest's claws retracted. The man rubbed the top of his bald head and hurriedly walked away from the scene of the crime. Neither male moved until they heard the sound of the front door closing. Ciel exhaled the breath he had been holding, and Sebastian swiftly moved off of the boy.

"Well, I guess I need to investigate Marie's remains," Sebastian commented emotionlessly before he moved to the doorway. Ciel jumped up and latched onto Sebastian's arm. The demon looked down at his butler with surprise. The boy shook his head and pulled the male's arm towards the window.

"Are you crazy master? What if he comes back? The best thing to do is to leave this area immediately," Ciel stated.

"But I need to-"

"Be treated immediately!" Ciel sharply cut him off. He glared at his injured comrade before he peeked out into the hallway. He shuddered at the sight of the blood-stained room across the hall. "Besides, I am sure one of the prostitutes in this building heard her screams and went to go get the police. If Sir Randall were to see you snooping around where someone had just been killed, he could falsely accuse you of her murder. You would only be doing more harm than good if you went into the room to investigate now," Ciel explained sharply. Sebastian opened his mouth to object, but the look in his servant's eye cut him off.

The demon sighed and proceeded to scoop Ciel into his arms. Ciel gasped at the sudden change of positions. "Master! What are you doing? Your shoulder-"

"Is fine. Besides, it is not as if you weigh that much anyway. I believe you are lighter than my last pet," Sebastian commented off-handedly, causing Ciel to growl. The demon chuckled at his servant's reaction. He moved over to the window and balanced the boy in one arm while he gently pushed the window open. With his injured arm, he managed to pull both of them out of the room.

Ciel had never been so happy to breathe London's air as he did at that moment.

**XXX**

Sebastian winced as Ciel tore his trench coat.

"That was my favorite coat…"

"Shut up," Ciel snapped moodily. "If you had just moved away from the door when I had told you to, then you wouldn't be bleeding from the head and the shoulder, and your favorite coat wouldn't have to be destroyed for bandages," Ciel stated harshly. The two males had taken the back route to get to their hotel. It had taken a little longer than if they had gone the usual way, but neither wanted to have a run in with Father Gregory. Because of the extra time, Sebastian's wounds were bleeding at an alarming rate, which only served to worry his servant.

Sebastian sighed at Ciel's anger. "But if I had moved away from the door, we would never have discovered the identity of Jack the Ripper," Sebastian pointed out smartly. Ciel grunted before he moved to the bathroom to wet some strips of Sebastian's coat. He returned and began to wipe Sebastian's wounded shoulder. The shirtless demon silently laughed at his butler's worry for him. Little did he know…

Ciel gasped as he finished cleaning the dried blood. He locked eyes with his smirking master before looking down at the completely healed area. "Master…your shoulder…it is completely healed!" he exclaimed. Sebastian chuckled at his pet's surprise.

"I told you I was fine. My body heals at a fairly fast rate. The only part of me that takes a little longer to heal is my head. What a shame…you destroyed my favorite coat for nothing," Sebastian finished in a forlorn tone. Ciel flushed with embarrassment at his mistake. He covered up his embarrassment by glaring at his master.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he hissed. Sebastian smiled before he brought up a hand to cup Ciel's cheek. The butler gasped as the demon pulled him onto his lap with the arm he had snaked around his waist. Ciel straddled the sitting man's hips and steadied himself by placing his hands on Sebastian's broad shoulders. Sebastian gently stroked Ciel's cheek with his thumb. The boy resisted the urge to lean into it.

"I found it quite charming how worried you were about my health. It was a pleasant surprise that I didn't want to end. I find it refreshing when you express a different emotion besides anger," Sebastian stated. Ciel narrowed his eyes, causing his master to sigh. "See? You are always angry with me…"

"Because you always do things to irritate me! It is not like I feel only anger towards you…" Ciel trailed off as his face slowly reddened. Sebastian cocked his head to the side and allowed his hand to roam from Ciel's cheek to gently run through his hair.

"Oh? Are you admitting that you feel other emotions for me Ciel?" Sebastian asked flirtatiously. Ciel's face was so red that some of the blood had to be redirected to the tips of his ears. Sebastian found his pet's reaction to be absolutely adorable.

"Che, bastard…stop trying to twist my words…" Ciel hissed as his visible eye darted nervously around the room. Sebastian gently smiled before he shifted his hand to the back of Ciel's neck to pull him down for a kiss. The boy's breath caught as his master's lips touched his own. The butler squeezed his eyes shut as his grip on Sebastian's shoulders tightened. Sebastian used his other hand to pull his servant's body closer to his own.

The kiss was slow and sensual. It caused Ciel's heart to race and his breathing to become erratic. When Sebastian's hand moved to rub his clothed ass, Ciel moaned into the kiss. Sebastian took the opportunity and maneuvered his tongue into his pet's mouth. This time, Ciel's tongue decided to join in as well. Their tongues tangled and meshed together as a war for dominance began. Ciel's quickening breathing and the wet sound of their kiss filled the room. Ciel was embarrassed by the sounds, but he was too addicted to his master's taste to truly care.

They both broke away from the kiss at the same time. A strand of spit connected their lips, which Ciel stared at in undisguised fascination. Sebastian smirked before he sucked the strand into his own mouth. Ciel blushed even redder at the motion. The demon's response to Ciel's embarrassment was to lean up and lick his moist lips.

"I wish to take a bath tonight. I haven't bathed in two days and being in that building for such a long period of time has left me feeling especially filthy. I am sure you have been instructed on how to bathe one's master, correct?" Sebastian asked. Their mouths were still so close together that Ciel felt more than heard Sebastian's words. When Ciel's mind registered his master's words, he internally panicked. On the outside, he merely nodded and calmly moved off of Sebastian's lap. He placed a hand over his heart and bowed slightly before straightening out.

"Of course master; Tanaka instructed me on how to handle such requests a few weeks ago. If you will excuse me, I will go and ready your bath for you," Ciel responded formally. Sebastian nodded and waved a hand dismissively. Ciel walked to the bathroom; Sebastian's eyes were trained on the boy's ass the whole time.

The minute Ciel closed the door behind him, he allowed his panic to show on his face. He glanced over at the empty bathtub and grimaced. The dark-haired servant breathed deeply and mentally counted to ten.

_What am I getting so worked up for? I am merely giving my master a bath…I know the procedure by heart. But, why do I have a feeling that there is going to be more going on than just bathing tonight? Heh, I'm just being paranoid. Tonight will be just like every other night; I have nothing to worry about…right?_

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(1): **That is actually the real name of one of Jack the Ripper's victims...she was his fourth victim. The only thing that isn't true is the month and day she was killed...but the year is correct! ^-^'**

(2): **Once again, this person is real. She was Jack the Ripper's fifth victim; If I remember correctly, I think she was the one who Ciel and Sebastian couldn't save in the anime/manga, but I can't remember...**

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**J-C: Ooooh, I wonder what's gonna happen next?**

**~Sasuke~ You should know better than anyone else...you are the writer...**

**J-C: I was being sarcastic...of course I know what's gonna happen next! And I'm super excited about it! Sadly, I won't get to rant about how excited I am about writing the next chapter (or about Kuroshitsuji 2 T_T) because I do not want to be grounded.**

******Naruto: You kinda are already if you think about it...**

**J-C: Good point...ah well, I have a ton of new SebaCiel doujinshis to keep me happy while I am banned from writing! Lolz, well, I'm not banned, but my dad set a 2 hour writing limit per day...but I will still try to update every Monday for as long as I can. ^-^ I apologize to everyone who expected an update on July 5th...July 7th isn't so bad right? *nervous laughter* Anyway, I don't have a lot of time to be tactful...which I hate, so PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ REVIEW! Egads, I love it so much when I see the words 'Review Alert: One Hell of a Master'. I was on my pc at 2 am one time and when I read them, I screamed! Not the best idea because that's probably the main reason I got banned from writing as much as I normally do...well that and because near the end of Kuroshitsuji 2's first episode I screamed and danced like I was psycho... Good thing my dad can't ban me from Kuroshitsuji...^-^ Anyhoo, I better log off now...my dad senses are tingling. So everybody, plz make my punishment a tad less harsher by leaving a review for the 9th chapter! Tell me your thoughts: Do you like the OC? Do you think I should chillax with the violence? Want longer love scenes? Did you like the first episode of Kuroshitsuji 2 as much as I did? I won't know unless you guys review! So PLZ continue to do so! Thank you and I hope everyone has a wonderful day!**

**Ja ne for now! ^-^**

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random person: **Lolz, I'm glad someone's happy with semi-smut! The real smut will begin very soon, I swear! ^0^ Peeshaw, no one can resist Sebastian! Although Ciel is doing a rather nice job of at least making an attempt...it's great that you liked the coach scene! I had lots of fun writing it. I wasn't originally going to put it in the chapter, but I thought it would make the chapter a little less boring, so there it is! ^-^ Anyhoo, I just wanted to say thanks for reviewing Chapter 8. It is very much appreciated! ^-^**

tabby-chan: **I SURE WILL! Lolz, it might take a tad bit longer than normal to update due to my severe cut in writing time, but I will make sure to continue adding on to this story. I don't plan to give up on it anytime soon, I swear it! But it makes me happy to hear that you like the direction this story is going! I hope the next chapter doesn't ruin your feelings for the story. Thankies for your review! It means a lot, I mean it! ^-^**

sakura: ***blushes* Oh my goodness, really? Well thank you! Lolz, it's rare that someone says that I actually rule, so its a pleasant surprise. Much appreciated! Lolz, I think the person in the window has a death wish against himself. Seriously, all the fangirls/fanboys that were reading the lime were probably about to wring the guy's neck. But ah well; maybe he has something important to say...or perhaps he just likes torturing Sebastian just as much as I do! ;D I'm glad that you want to know who he is. His identity shall be revealed at the beginning of Chapter 9. ^-^ I will try to update as quickly as possible! Thanks for reviewing! ^-^**

Shirogane-san: **Awww, I hope you didn't hurt your head. Keyboards can be evil sometimes *rubs forehead from where she banged it after finishing the first episode of Kuroshitsuji 2* ^-^'. Lolz, I guess I'm somewhat of a sadist for doing what I did to Sebastian at the end. But I couldn't resist; I love writing interruptions! ^-^ I'm sure that both you and Sebastian feel the same way about the mysterious man in the window. Thanks a lot for reviewing, and I will make sure to continue to update in a timely and somewhat orderly manner! ^0^**

Kuro Neko-chan: **Egads! *rewrites 8th chapter to make it 10x more perverted* Lolz! ^0^ Hahaha, I couldn't resist ruining Sebastian's fun time with his adorable little future uke. And you are right my friend, if there is one person (demon?) who can weasel around several cockblockings, Sebastian is the one! ;) Teehee, I lolz'ed so hard when I wrote that line; glad you liked it too! I believe it would be the end of the world if any woman (or Ciel...teehee) could actually resist Sebastian. He's the smexxiest beast to ever live! *has fangirl moment* Ahem, sorry about that...anyhoo, that priest guy is definitely a sneaky one. Who knows what he might be doing? Oh yeah, I do...*nervous laugh* Lolz, that is so true! Sebastian is definitely the sex...that should be his nickname! Awww, thankies so much! I'm glad that you don't think this fic was lame. I'll continue to work hard so that it doesn't become lame in later chapters! *blushes* I'm just warming up when it comes to explicit scenes. You guys haven't seen anything yet! ;D Oh, and thankies a bunches for watching my amv! It makes me uber happy to hear that you likey it! *freaks out* I LOVED THE FIRST EPISODE OF KUROSHITSUJI 2! *calms down* Sorry, I'm going to end this response with a thank you before I go on an unnecessarily long rant...so thank you for reviewing again! ^-^**

Miko: **Hmmm, I never once thought I would hear someone say that I updated earlier than expected! Lolz, I'll try to do that more often! ^-^ Ahaha, you caught the trademark thing too! Lolz, that's probably the main reason why I have the disclaimer in the first place! Curse you Yana for coming up with an ultra smexxi smirk that only you have ownership of! *sobs* Ha! You are definitely right my friend! Sebastian was probably also thinking, 'I really hate this whole karma thing...'. Teehee, I couldn't resist denying him again. But it's all for the best! It will be 10x better for him when he can finally get his hands on Ciel. ;) Anyhoo, I just wanted to take the time to thank you for reviewing! It is greatly appreciated! ^0^**

lilly: ***cries from happiness* Aww, thank you so much! You are so kind! It makes me really happy to hear that you like my story so much! As long as I have readers like you who like the plot and stuff, I won't give up on this story. So thank you for your kind words. Oh my goodness, I think you are the first person who actually didn't say that they hated the guy in the window. Lolz, his identity will definitely be revealed at the beginning of Chapter 9. Anyhoo, I also wanted to thank you for your review! It means a lot to me, seriously! So thank you! ^-^**

Assasin of Secrecy: **Whoopsies...sorry I couldn't update on time. If it wasn't for July 4th, my dad, and Kuroshitsuji 2, this chapter would've been up two days ago. So I apologize for my short attention span and lateness. ^-^ Egads! Curse you grammar...lolz, I've always had some problems with grammar...but I'm glad that it was only one error! ^-^' Thanks for letting me off the hook! O.O Holy snap, that's epically long! Lolz, 192 pages and I'm only on the 8th chapter... Oh my goodness, really? *glomps* That's wonderful! I'm so happy that I could actually give you inspiration! I've never done that for anyone before...but it's great that we shall soon have a future Kuroshitsuji writer! I can't wait until you actually start writing your fic! You have to tell me when you start on it so I can read it. ^0^ This fandom needs more authors, and I'm sure you will only do justice for this wonderful anime/manga. *pulls out dictionary and mom's reading glasses* Ahem, a lemon is like a lime squared. Lolz, okay seriously though...a lemon is when characters actually have sex. So limes are pretty much like foreplay and stuff, and lemons are when the actual penetration and act takes place. Smut is just another word for sex...well, I guess it's kinda like dirty sex...you know, with dirty words and kinky stuff taking place. But it's mainly used interchangeably with sex. And I have no problem clearing any confusion you have. If you gots any more questions, feel free to ask me! Lolz, your guess just might be right...who knows? The person's identity will be revealed in Chapter 9! So anyway, thanks for reviewing again! I love you tons for reviewing again...and yes, FANGIRLS UNITE! ^0^**

hannah: **We shall just have to see...if your guess is right, I will totally give you e-cookies. Actually, I will give you e-cookies just for reviewing! So yeah, thankies for your guess and for leaving a review! Much appreciated! ^-^**

LittleCopperRidingHood15: **Lolz, I had sooo much fun writing that! I was just visualizing the whole scene in my head, and I almost busted out laughing. Ciel just looks like the type of person who would have that much knowledge of fashion. Teehee, you and Sebastian most likely agree on that line. It was lots of fun writing that line and then writing Sebastian's response. It was probably the most predictable comeback in the whole chapter. ^-^ *fans self* I allowed my fangirl side to get the best of me when I was writing their first night together. I couldn't help it; I had never seen Sebastian naked before (well, besides in doujinshis and stuff)...so I allowed my imagination to run wild! Poor Ciel was so unprepared to see Sebastian in all his hotness! ;D Ahahaha, and I couldn't resist denying Sebastian one more time. Interruptions are hilarious! And I'm sure Ciel appreciates being able to escape from his perverted master yet again! ^-^ I'm glad that you likey the chapter! I hope you like the 9th just as much! And thanks for leaving another review! I love you so much for doing so! ^0^**

Ailea Creed: **Hooray! I'm glad that I could make at least one fangirl NOT want to kill me! *laughs nervously* Anyhoo, it's a huge relief that my smutty scenes are going well so far! I hope I don't burn out my perverted mind before they actually get to smex each other up! ;D *gasps* People actually don't respond to their reviewers? That's blasphemy! I mean, you guys are the reason I'm writing this story in the first place (well, that's the main reason. I also couldn't resist allowing my perverseness to finally be released... ;D). Plus, you guys take the time to leave me reviews for my story. The way I look at it, I'm the one asking for you to leave a review, so when you guys do so, it's the least I can do to thank you for doing so! I love you guys so much! ^0^ Lolz, as for the whole updating thingie...well, it is summer vacation. But even during school, I would never make my readers wait for 6 months. That's just wrong...the longest I've made my readers wait was 2 and a half months...I think. As for the stranger's identity, heh, we shall just have to see! But I'm glad that you likey Grell too! I'm shocked that some people actually don't like him! O.O Anyhoo, thank you for leaving a review for the last chapter! It is greatly appreciated! ^0^**

Zozo-Chan: **Yay! I'm glad that you likey how the plot is going so far! It brings me great joy to be able to make my readers happy! So thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review for the 8th chapter! It's much appreciated! ^-^**

SebaCieLuver: **Well, your effort is much appreciated! English is a hard language, so I'm glad you are willing to write in it to leave me reviews! ^-^ Lolz, I'm glad that you liked the addition of two limes in one chapter. Too bad one of those limes couldn't become a lemon...poor Sebastian is just gonna have to wait before he can finally have a taste of his delicious little pet. ^-^ It's great that you were able to get a few laughs out of this chapter! My humor is usually pretty lame, so I'm happy that you could laugh! ^-^ As for the stranger, that person's identity will be revealed in Chapter 9! ^-^ *gasps* I TOTALLY LOVED KUROSHITSUJI 2! The first episode was so epic and awesome! What do you think of the new characters and what went down in the episode? I absolutely adore Alois! ^0^ I totally don't find this to be off-topic. I don't mind talking with my readers about things other than my story. ^-^ Egads! There is no way I can resist such a jutsu! I will update as quickly as possible, I swear it! Lolz, thanks for reviewing! ^-^**

Waga: **Ahaha, I'm such an evil writer, I know. But sometimes things are worth waiting for...I'm sure Sebastian will be very pleased when he can finally move past lime status with Ciel. ^-^ Awww! I'm so happy that you think that about me! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. So thank you so much for saying that! Thanks for appreciating my effort with the last chapter; I will continue to work hard and update whenever I can. Thank you for your review! ^0^**

andrea: **Thanks so much! I'm glad that you thought that about chapter 8...even though I believe that I have so much more that I can improve on. I'm glad that you liked the ending! I likey ending chapters either with humor or some sort of mystery. I'm not a big fan of ending with cliffhangers...it just feels like I didn't finish, and I hate leaving things incomplete...anyhoo, I'm sure you aren't the only one who is waiting for Sebastian to make Ciel his. Don't worry; that will definitely be coming soon! I just wanted to take the time to thank you reviewing Chapter 8...so thanks a bunches! ^0^**


	10. The Picture

**J-C: Well, we have finally reached the 10th chapter of One Hell of a Master! What a milestone! ^-^ Guys...I am sorely disappointed and ashamed of myself... -_-**

******Naruto: *gasps* WHY?**

**~Sasuke~ You are just now realizing how embarrassing you can be sometimes?**

**J-C: No...Because this is the longest chapter I've written for One Hell of a Master so far...**

**~Sasuke~ *raises eyebrow* What's wrong with that?**

**J-C: *swallows nervously* Well...it's 44 pages long...**

******Naruto: I still don't get it...**

**J-C: Because the majority of this chapter is a LEMON! *squeals excitedly* That's right everybody; this chapter contains the first lemon of One Hell of a Master! *jumps up and down with fangirl induced happiness***

******~Sasuke/Naruto~ What the hell...**

**J-C: Now, even though I am excited about finally completing my first full-fledged sex scene...I am highly nervous. I edited this lemon a total of THREE times...I just hope all my editing wasn't in vain. Believe it or not, it's harder for me to write a lemon than it is for me to write gore... -_-**

******Naruto: *pats my head* I'm sure that your readers will love this lemon just as much as your gore scenes!**

**J-C: Thanks Naruto! Speaking of love, do you guys (talking to my readers...) realize how much I love you right now? 47 reviews? God, I think I've died and gone to heaven because I have some of the nicest, sweetest, and awesomest readers/reviewers ever! I never once imagined that I would get that many reviews for one chapter! I swear, you guys never cease to amaze me! And I'm really happy to say that I'm actually becoming friends with some of you guys! ^-^ Thank you so much for making me feel so welcomed on this site. All the reviews, faving, and alerting that has been going on astounds me. Not only that, some of you guys have actually been so kind as to say that I'm your favorite author or that this is your favorite Kuroshitsuji story. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Gosh, I'm about to start crying now...**

**~Sasuke~ Get a hold of yourself and introduce the chapter already...**

**J-C: Fine...after a word from our Disclaimer and Warnings! ^-^**

******Disclaimer: With the amount of reviews I've accumulated (250+ for 9 chapters? O.O), I could possibly have a small army at my disposal to try and take Kuroshitsuji by force...but my laziness is getting the better of me again...so no ownership or massive warfare for me!**

******Warnings: Ahem...LEMON (translation: sex between a demon and a boy...that's right, it's finally happening everybody!), SHOTACON (because...Ciel is only 12 and Sebastian is...yeah), strong sexual situations/themes, OOCness (I don't know...I mean, I tried really hard and I don't think anyone's OOC but I'm warning just to be safe...), BOY x BOY Love, and language (such dirty mouths in this chapter...^-^).**

**J-C: Before I proceed to (hopefully) cause massive amounts of bleeding from everybody's noses, I must make sure your minds are clear and focused! So, thoughts look like this (**_Writing a lemon is really hard..._**), regular dialogue and stuff looks like this (**I really hope I didn't screw up everybody's fantasies...**), emphasized words look like this (Can't wait for the smex!) or like this (_It took 10 chapters for them to finally get it on?_), and (XXX) stands for scene/time changes. Okay *takes deep breath*. Everyone, I present the 10th installment of One Hell of a Master, which contains my first ever lemon! *Fidgets nervously* I hope you all enjoy! ^0^**

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**Chapter 10: The Picture**

Ciel inhaled deeply and ran a hand through his hair. He moved away from the door and walked over to the corner of the bathroom. He groped around until his hand wrapped around a box of matches. He pulled out one and struck it against the side of the box. He was entranced by the flame for a moment before he brought the flaming end to the wick of the candle. The room was slightly filled with light. Ciel quickly moved over to the other side of the room and lit the second candle in the room. He blew out the match and threw it in the trashcan. Now that the room was well-lit, Ciel could properly prepare a bath for his master.

The child butler grabbed a towel from the rack and placed it to the side of the bathtub. It was important that his master had someplace to step onto; it would be the worst if he slipped on the floor after stepping out of the bath. Ciel smirked at the thought of the perfect and composed man flailing his arms and falling back into the water. The boy moved from the side of the tub to the cabinet that was located to the right of the sink. He stood on his tiptoes and reached for the bar of soap and bottle of shampoo. He nearly dropped the bottle of shampoo due to the unexpected weight of it. He adjusted the bottle in his hand so he had a firm grip on it. He set the bar of soap and the shampoo bottle near the head of the tub. Then, Ciel walked over to the sink and bent down to retrieve the metal bucket. He would need it to rinse off Sebastian once he was completely washed.

Ciel set the bucket in the sink and turned the faucet. He was grateful that the hotel they were staying at had running water; it would've been a real pain to try and get water from another source, especially this late at night. When the bucket was filled almost to the brim, Ciel turned off the water and used all of his strength to pull the bucket out of the sink. He grunted at the sheer weight of the water and hobbled over to the tub to place the bucket on the floor. He set it off to the side to make sure that he didn't accidentally knock it over. He put a finger in the water and silently cursed. The water was cold; Ciel had meant for the water to be hot. He sighed at his mistake and moved back over to the sink. He bent down and grabbed the other metal bucket. He placed it in the sink and turned the other faucet. He watched as the steaming water filled the container.

After the bucket was filled to near capacity, Ciel shut off the water and hoisted the container out of the sink. He placed the bucket in front of the pail with the wrong temperature in a hasty attempt to cover up his mistake. He knew that Sebastian would get some twisted humor out of the whole situation if he knew about his butler's mishap.

_He would probably think that I was too busy fantasizing about his naked body instead of focusing on my job…_

Ciel's face burst out in a blush when his mind flashed back to the first night they had stayed in the hotel. He had seen Sebastian's top half completely exposed. Ciel's mouth went dry as he thought about the other man's rippling muscles, perfect skin, sinewy arms that felt wonderful around Ciel's waist as he was pressed to the other man's chest…

Ciel quickly shook his head and clapped his face between his hands. There was no way that he was actually fantasizing about his master…and right before he was supposed to give him a bath too! The butler hastily moved away from the bucket. Ciel quickly moved back over to the cabinet and got out the bottle of rose oil and bath soap. He returned to the tub and poured some of the bath soap at the bottom of the tub. He set the bottle of rose oil over to the side; that wouldn't be added until the tub was completely filled. Then, Ciel reached over to turn on the faucets. He had to be completely focused on the task at hand; if he allowed his mind to wander or any weaknesses to show, he was done for. The boy had noticed that Sebastian had an uncanny ability to tell whenever he was flustered. Ciel was positive that the demon had some sort of plan to get him in bed tonight. The butler refused to fall into such a trap; just imagining the older male rolling around with him under the covers…both completely naked and flushed…

"Shit!" Ciel yelled out before he quickly reached over to turn off the water. He had been so focused on other thoughts that he hadn't been paying attention to the quickly filling tub. Ciel had barely caught the running water in time. His hands remained firmly wrapped around the handle as he breathed unsteadily. He really needed to get his act together; if he wasn't mentally and emotionally prepared…

"Ciel, is everything alright in there?" Sebastian's voice called from the main room. Ciel felt his heart literally skip a beat as a shudder raced through his body at the sound of the man's seductive tone. It was almost like the bastard knew exactly what was going on in Ciel's mind. Ciel wildly shook his head; then, realizing that Sebastian couldn't see through walls, Ciel steadied his voice.

"Yes, sir! It will only be one more moment…please be patient," Ciel called out professionally. He imagined that Sebastian's mouth was upturned in a knowing smirk. Ciel absolutely **hated** when Sebastian did that. He preferred it when his mouth was actually smiling or frowning…or hungrily kissing his own lips…or even better, when it was sucking and kissing on his neck and collarbone while slowly moving down his body…

"God damn it!" Ciel cursed. This time he was positive; he could hear Sebastian chuckling in the other room. The other male was mocking him. The butler slid to the floor and lightly banged his head on the side of the bath. There was no way that he could give his master a bath in his current mental state. Ciel gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He needed to calm down…immediately.

_Calm down Ciel…it is just Sebastian. I am just giving a bath to my annoying master. Nothing else is going to happen tonight; __**nothing**__ is going to happen tonight. I won't allow it._

The butler steeled himself and moved from his position on the floor. He reached for the bottle of rose oil and put a few drops into the bubbly water. Ciel put the bottle of rose oil and bath soap back into the cabinet. Finally, Ciel rolled back the sleeves of his shirt so that the cloth wouldn't get wet when he washed his master. He reached for a towel so Sebastian could cover himself after Ciel changed him out of his clothes. With one final breath, Ciel opened the door of the bathroom.

Ciel was just in time to see his master shrugging out of his dress shirt. Sebastian's back was to his hypnotized butler, but the demon was well aware of the other presence in the room. Ciel's face warmed up as he watched the muscles in the demon's back smoothly move and adjust to their owner's movement. Realizing that he was staring at the back of the person he hated, Ciel loudly cleared his throat. Sebastian faked surprise and turned to his slightly flushed butler.

"Ah Ciel, it appears I got a little impatient. I hope you don't mind that I already began undressing," Sebastian asked with a small smirk. Ciel rolled his eyes and moved over to stand in front of his master.

"It's not a problem; you are only making my job easier," Ciel responded tonelessly as he felt his face cool off. Sebastian handed his butler the already discarded shirt, and Ciel wordlessly folded the article of clothing before placing it over to the side. The butler turned away from the half-naked male and walked back into the bathroom. Sebastian followed closely behind; once again, his eyes were trained on the child's clothed ass. The demon could feel his lust beginning to overtake him. The way the material of the jeans shifted around his perfect little butt to adjust to the slight sway of Ciel's hips was positively delicious. Said boy could feel eyes trained on an intimate part of his body and quickly moved behind his master to close the door.

"Since you have already begun undressing yourself, would you mind finishing what you started?" Ciel asked formally. When Sebastian made no comment for a few moments, and Ciel didn't hear the rustle of clothing, the boy sighed and turned away from the door. His eyes almost popped out of his head; his throat and mouth instantly went dry. Sebastian was standing in front of him, completely naked. Caught completely by surprise, Ciel had no time to mentally or emotionally prepare himself for the sight in front of him. The man in front of him was incredibly sexy; his body was perfect. Ciel's eyes roamed over Sebastian's exposed and muscled chest and abdomen before they slowly traveled downwards. His breath caught in his throat, and he quickly looked away from his master's package. Sebastian chuckled at Ciel's reaction to his naked body.

"See something you like Ciel?" Sebastian asked in a smoldering voice. Ciel turned his face forward to find his master **much **closer than he had been a few seconds ago. His heart leaped in his throat, and he was struck speechless for a moment. The intensity in the other male's eyes slightly frightened and excited Ciel. He opened his mouth to say something, but found that he had lost the ability to form coherent sentences. Sebastian smirked knowingly, snapping Ciel from his trance. He glared at the smirking demon.

"Shut up and get in the bath already. The water is going to get cold soon," Ciel responded harshly before he moved past the naked man. The boy yelped when his ass was firmly slapped. He whirled around to see an emotionless expression on his master's face.

"There was a bug on you," Sebastian stated smoothly. Ciel clenched his teeth.

"Just get in the tub already," he hissed through gritted teeth.

Sebastian said nothing and wordlessly followed Ciel's order. Ciel waited patiently as the demon slowly sank down into the water. The demon couldn't help but release a pleased groan at the feel of the warm water; he could almost feel the dirt being carried off of his body. The feel of the bubbles and the warmth of the water were working wonders on Sebastian. He could feel his tense muscles relax as his mind slowly cleared. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back to lean against the edge of the tub. If there was one thing he liked about humans, it was their need to feel clean. The whole bathing process was a marvelous invention; Sebastian was slightly surprised that his race hadn't thought of it first. The boy released an inaudible sigh of relief; so far he was doing everything perfectly. He mentally went through the routine Tanaka had drilled in his head: allow the master to sit and relax for at least five minutes. Shortly after, begin to wash his body. Afterwards, wait a few moments before moving on to shampoo the hair. Take special time and care; a person's hair is one's greatest accessory. Finally, rinse off the soap from both the hair and the body. If the master chooses to, he can relax in the bath for a few more minutes before being dried off and dressed.

Ciel mentally checked off the first part of the routine and patiently stood beside the bath as Sebastian relaxed. The boy refused to look at the lounging man; he was already emotionally shaken from what had just occurred. He needed some time to regain full control of himself. Sebastian mentally mapped out the suitcase he had brought with them for this trip. He hoped that Tanaka had packed it; he never went anywhere without it. Plus, it always helped him to fully relax after a bath.

When five minutes had passed, Ciel set the towel back on the rack and moved to kneel down beside the tub. Sebastian lazily opened one eye to appraise the servant. Ciel held up his now gloved hand with the bar of soap. The demon sighed and sat up a little straighter. The boy took it as silent permission to proceed. Ciel gently lifted Sebastian's arm and began to clean the limb with just the right amount of pressure and attentiveness. Sebastian's ruby red eyes locked on Ciel's face. It was a mask of perfect concentration. The demon inwardly smirked; he couldn't wait to break that concentration. Ciel shifted his body and began to scrub Sebastian's chest and neck area. In order to reach the other arm, Ciel took a risk and leaned his entire body over the bath. Sebastian's intense eyes zeroed in on the tiny bit of Ciel's tongue that was poking through his lips. The boy probably didn't even realize how adorable he looked at the moment.

Ciel gasped when he felt teeth sink into his earlobe. He was so shocked by the sudden assault that he dropped the soap right where Sebastian's cash and prizes were located. Sebastian sat back in the tub and acted as if nothing had happened. Ciel clapped a hand to his recently bitten ear and whirled to glare at the male. "What the hell was that for?" Ciel hissed angrily. Sebastian shrugged his shoulders.

"You just looked so delicious; I couldn't resist having a taste," the male added in a deeper tone of voice. Ciel silently swore as he felt his face warm up. Because of this guy, his concentration was completely destroyed. Not only that, he had lost the bar of soap in the bubbly water. Sebastian smirked at his thoroughly flustered servant. He shifted in the tub and faked shock. "Oh my, it appears as if I've found the dropped soap," he commented slyly. Ciel gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to throw up his hands and tell the man to wash himself.

"Where exactly…is the bar of soap…**sir**?" Ciel asked in a controlled tone of voice. Sebastian smirked™ and gently grabbed Ciel's gloved hand. He guided it into the pleasantly warm water until it touched the area. Ciel wrapped his hand around what he assumed was the bar of soap. It took a moment for Ciel to understand what exactly he was grabbing; however, when the "soap" twitched, the boy nearly had a heart attack. His face flushed a deep red, and he wrenched his hand out of the other male's grip with a shocked cry. The boy leaped to his feet and felt himself slip. The sudden movement had already thrown his body off balance; the fact that there was a trace of rose oil on the floor wasn't helping matters any.

Ciel flailed his arms helplessly as he completely lost his balance. He squeezed his eyes shut and prepared himself to hit the unforgiving bathroom floor. His fall abruptly stopped shortly after the sound of sloshing water filled the room. Ciel peeked out of one of his eyes and swore that this was a nightmare of some sort. Sebastian had, of course, caught him with one arm firmly around his shoulders while the other was held up with his hand on the floor. But the worst part wasn't that he had been caught in quite a romantic position. Once again, Ciel's eyes took in the sight of Sebastian's naked body. Only this time, it was dripping wet. The preteen gaped at how the water glistened on the other male's body, giving his skin an almost ethereal look to it. His uncovered eye followed the path of one lone drop of water as it made its way from the top half of the man's perfectly sculpted chest, past his belly button, until it touched…

"Are you alright Ciel? You seem to be…distracted," Sebastian added thoughtfully. Ciel tore his eyes from the drop of water to look into the demon's curious eyes. Before he got completely lost in the male's depths, Ciel rolled out of the other man's hold. Sebastian made no objection; he merely sat back in the bath tub. The boy got back on his feet and glared down at the emotionless man.

"Can you **not** do something perverted for a few minutes?" Ciel asked in a biting tone. Sebastian shrugged his shoulders.

"My apologies, but I am a stereotypically evil and lust-filled being. I cannot control my actions," Sebastian replied. Ciel growled at the man's unphased response.

_You can if you have a working brain…_

The butler moved back into his previous position and quickly extracted the bar of soap from the water. He breathed in deeply and attempted to regain his previous level of concentration. "Master, would you be so kind as to lift your leg?" Ciel asked in a polite tone of voice. Sebastian inwardly chuckled; Ciel was making it too easy for him. The demon did as he was told and lifted one leg out of the water. The butler expertly began cleaning the limb and quickly moved all the way to the foot. He motioned for Sebastian to lift the other leg, and the pale man alternated legs. Once again, Ciel had to lean all the way over the tub. This time, he was on guard. He glanced cautiously at the emotionless man as he worked his way down the limb. Once he was finished soaping his master's other leg, Ciel felt a sense of dread come over him.

_Perhaps if I just opt out and move on to the shampooing process…_

"Are you finished already? I think you missed a spot," Sebastian added in slyly. Ciel growled before putting on a fake tone of surprise.

"Oh! My apologies sir…let me get that for you right now," Ciel stated. He inwardly grimaced and moved to begin washing Sebastian's most intimate of secrets. He cleaned the inner thigh area and planned to quickly brush over the other man's penis before moving over to the other thigh. That plan was instantly soured when said man's penis was a tad "harder" to brush over than expected. Ciel gaped for a moment as his bar of soap ran over the other man's half-hard erection.

_Unbelievable…he is completely unbelievable! This amount of horniness cannot be good for his health! How could he become…excited…from me washing his body? How?_

"Ciel, is there a problem that needs to be taken care of? You look flushed," Sebastian said with mock worry. The butler said nothing to Sebastian's comment. Ciel merely shook his head and moved to give the erection a half-hearted washing. A pleased groan came from the man's general direction, and the poor boy nearly passed out from embarrassment at the sound. He whipped his head in his master's direction; the man's face was a mask of indifference.

"Can you **be** any more insufferable? Stop making such lewd sounds while I'm cleaning you! Another thing, calm yourself down…there is nothing seductive or sexy going on here-"

"True, but the person cleaning sure is," Sebastian cut in. Ciel's eyes narrowed before he suddenly threw the bar of soap into the bathwater. The water splashed up to hit Sebastian in the face. He turned, unfazed, to find Ciel standing up from his spot.

"That is it! I do not have to deal with this sexual harassment. You can clean yourself master; you are a grown man. I am sure you know how to wash off your body. I…am…**done**," Ciel stated with finality. The flustered and angered butler turned to march out of the bathroom; never had he been so humiliated in his life. He was jerked to a stop by a wet hand wrapping around his wrist. Ciel turned to see Sebastian holding on to him. He opened his mouth to order the man to release him but the demon cut him off.

"What exactly is wrong with me stating how attractive of a person you are? You know, most people would take such words as a compliment. Why are you so angry about me saying such things? Also, as a butler, you should be able to block out outside influences. You are supposed to remain completely professional while performing your tasks. So let me ask you, Ciel, are you incapable of focusing on your work because of one compliment?" Sebastian asked sternly. Ciel blinked at the man's scolding before he scowled. Ciel's response to Sebastian's question was to yank his wrist out of the demon's hold, harshly grab the bottle of shampoo, and squirt its contents on the top of Sebastian's head. The demon was slightly surprised when the boy gripped his shoulders and shoved him down into the water. Ciel pulled Sebastian out of the water and began to harshly scrub the man's hair with his fingers.

"I am a male and your butler; for you to make such advances to someone of my gender and social standing is shameful. I am angry because you are not just saying such things because you actually mean it. You are only saying them to fluster and confuse me. And," Ciel grabbed a fistful of Sebastian's hair and jerked the man's head back. Sebastian's crimson orbs looked up at his butler's sneering face. "I am the best butler that someone of **your** race could ever hope to attain. As you can see, I am clearly focused on my work, regardless of your compliments," Ciel finished haughtily. He shoved Sebastian's head forward and continued roughly lathering his master's hair. A deadly silence settled over the pair. Sebastian didn't really feel any pain from the boy's previous actions; they had just taken him by surprise. He hadn't expected Ciel to come back at him with such vigor.

He was very pleased with this recent turn of events.

As Ciel's anger cooled off, his fingers became less rough and harsh. The boy began to gently massage the other man's head, just like Tanaka had taught him. He gathered Sebastian's raven-colored hair and ran his fingers through it to make sure the shampoo got onto every single strand. The silence between the servant and master became less hostile and much more relaxed. It was time for Sebastian to strike. "So you admit that you are flustered and confused whenever I compliment you," the demon randomly commented. Ciel's movements didn't falter; he merely continued his ministrations on the male's hair. He knew the immortal was goading him. He wasn't going to fall into his trap.

"I am intrigued; if my complimenting you can cause you to feel those emotions, then what does it feel like when I kiss and touch y-" Sebastian was sharply cut off as ice cold water filled his mouth. Sebastian spat out the cold water as a shiver raced through his rinsed off body. He looked up to see Ciel triumphantly holding a metal bucket over his head.

"And rinse; master, your bath is complete," Ciel finished in an amused tone. Oh yeah; the butler had definitely gotten payback.

Sebastian's response?

Ciel barely had time to inhale before his arm was gripped and his whole body went flipping over Sebastian…right into the water. The warm and soapy water instantly soaked Ciel's clothing and splashed over the sides of the bathtub, flooding the floor. Ciel went under for a second before he violently broke through the surface, causing even more water to decorate the floor. His soaked hair clung to his face, making it hard for him to see. He coughed and spluttered as he tried to get the soap and water out of his mouth and nose. A hand running up and down his soaked shirt instantly caught Ciel's attention. The thoroughly soaked boy whipped around, causing droplets of soapy water to hit the smirking demon in the face. The sight of the smirk caused rage to bubble inside of the boy. He harshly gripped the other male's shoulders and brought his face closer to the unfazed male's.

"What the fuck was that? Are you insane? Why would you flip me into the water? Look what you did to the floor! Do you realize how long that's going to take me to clean up? And look at my clothes…they are soaked through! Damn it, this is my only outfit! Do you get some kind of sick, twisted humor out of doing these types of things to me?" Ciel moved to push the man, but his hands merely slipped from their position to rest on Sebastian's chest. It was then that the truth of the situation hit the angered boy. He was currently perched on top of a completely naked Sebastian…in a bathtub…alone. Sebastian's smirk widened at the boy's look of shock. Ciel completely released the man and began to back away to the other side of the tub. The look in Sebastian's eyes caused Ciel's whole body to shudder.

The demon slowly moved from his sitting position to follow Ciel to the other side of the tub. "That, referring to your flip into the water, was punishment for dousing me with ice-cold water. Although many may think so, no, I am completely right in my mind," Sebastian said in a hushed voice. Ciel inhaled sharply when he felt his back hit the end of the tub. He was completely trapped. Sebastian closed the distance between their bodies and cupped Ciel's face between his hands. The boy's eyes widened at the action as his breathing picked up noticeably. Sebastian studied the boy's face; his red-tinged cheeks, soaked hair clinging to his forehead and the sides of his face, his slightly parted candy-red lips, his widened crystal blue eye. Sebastian had to restrain himself from flipping the smaller male over and fucking him senseless into the side of the tub…and probably the floor.

"As for receiving humor from doing such things to you…that is incorrect. I receive great…**pleasure**," Sebastian finished huskily. And with that final statement, Ciel's lips were promptly claimed by his demon master. The boy gasped as the force of the kiss literally bent his head back over the side of the tub. Sebastian's hands moved from the sides of his trapped servant's face into the water to wrap around the boy's submerged waist. He pressed the lower half of Ciel's body to his own, making his pet release a shaky moan. The lust in the demon's body was slowly seeping into Ciel's through the kiss they were engaging in. The boy didn't know where to grasp onto; there was no clothing on Sebastian to grip onto. His hands kept slipping off of the demon's slickened body. Finally, he settled for wrapping his arms around the raven-haired male's neck. He pulled the man down so his top half was covered by Sebastian's own.

Tongues and teeth clashed and clacked against one another as lust overtook both male's bodies and minds. Ciel eagerly opened his mouth for Sebastian to once again claim his territory. That's right; Ciel's body…especially his mouth and ass, belonged to Sebastian and him only. The demon was intent on making sure that Ciel knew and remembered that tonight. The boy whined and whimpered when Sebastian's hands harshly grabbed and groped his clothed ass. But Sebastian didn't want to grab onto clothing; he wanted skin. He wanted to feel Ciel's body heat as he took and drowned the boy in a yet unknown world of carnal pleasure. Sebastian broke the kiss when he felt Ciel's grip on his neck becoming more insistent. Both males were panting as they desperately tried to fill their depleted lungs.

The demon instantly went to work on Ciel's soaked vest, alerting Ciel to what was about to happen. Okay, so maybe he had been temporarily…distracted by Sebastian's kiss. Yes, he had actively participated in said kiss, and he might have even spurred the male on with his constant whimpers and moans. But did that mean that he wanted to have sex with the man?

Answer: Hell no.

"W-W-Wait, hah, m-master…" Ciel weakly protested. Sebastian paused in his unbuttoning activities to look the panting boy in the eyes.

"Absolutely not," he responded sternly before he moved to plant seamless kisses on the boy's jawbone. Said boy gasped and squirmed slightly at the motion. His hands migrated from Sebastian's neck to his shoulders as he feebly pushed at the other's body.

"B-B-B-But, ah! But, mmm, the floor, oh!" Ciel gasped out desperately as he looked for any excuse to get out of the tub.

"Can be cleaned up later…" Sebastian murmured against the boy's jaw, causing Ciel to shiver at the feel.

"Ngh, m-my clothing, aha!" Ciel protested breathily. He could feel his will slowly crumbling; if he didn't think of a good excuse soon, Sebastian was definitely going to get some tonight. The demon moved from kissing the boy's jaw to licking the shell of the dark-haired child's ear.

"Is already soaked through, perpetually ruined. Besides, you won't be in those clothes for much longer," Sebastian answered lustfully before gently biting down on Ciel's earlobe. Ciel gasped and loudly moaned when the man began to suck on it. The boy was drowning in a sea of pleasure and heat as the demon continued his ministrations. When Sebastian began grinding onto Ciel, the boy knew he only had one more chance before his virginity was a thing of the past.

"Ahn! Oh gods, YES! I-I-I meant…aaaah, NO! Aha…ooooh! M-Maaaaster, wait, hah…ah! Y-Y-Your skin will get wrinkled, ngh!" Ciel finally yelled out. The boy's final excuse caused Sebastian to come to a halt. He looked down at his mess of a butler with a look of disbelief. Ciel nodded frantically and began pushing the shocked man off of his body. "Y-Yes, if you, hah, don't get out of the water…your skin will be wrinkled. Th-Then, my washing will all be for nothing! Plus, I wish to take a bath as well…I'm soaked and all the dirt from my clothes is on my skin now," Ciel said with growing confidence. Sebastian blinked, completely thrown off by Ciel's excuse. The boy used the man's momentary state of confusion to his advantage. He quickly climbed out of the tub and carefully stepped over to the towel rack. He grabbed the dry towel and turned to find Sebastian in the same position he had left him in.

The demon looked at his flushed and frantic butler for a moment, assessing the pros and cons of throwing him to the floor and fucking him senseless. Realizing that the pros would only be temporary and the cons could result in castration, Sebastian smoothly moved back into his original position. Ciel released a relieved sigh and moved to stand beside the tub. The master stood up from the now cool water and took the offered towel from his butler. Ciel looked the other way as Sebastian proceeded to dry off his hair first. He slowly dried the rest of his body before he wrapped the towel around his waist. Sebastian reached out and wrapped his arms around his servant's waist. Ciel gasped as he was pulled flush against his master's mainly naked body. Sebastian kept one hand wrapped around the boy's waist and used the other to tilt Ciel's face up.

He descended and gave Ciel a breath-taking kiss before pulling away with a smile that screamed seduction. Ciel's eyes slowly opened halfway as he secretly savored the kiss. "Alright then; you may take your bath while I ready myself for bed. But don't take too long…I wouldn't want for your skin to get wrinkled," Sebastian added smartly before releasing Ciel. And with that, Sebastian confidently strode out of the destroyed bathroom, leaving a flushed and even more confused butler behind.

**XXX**

Ciel slowly sank down into the warm water and softly moaned. He now understood how Sebastian felt when he had first sat in the water. It was pure bliss; it was a shame that thoughts of the man in the other room were ruining Ciel's relaxation. The child butler sank down into the water all the way up to his nose. He purposely blew out air through his mouth and nose and watched as the bubbles disturbed the soapy surface. Eventually, he pulled himself up to where his chest and below were submerged. Ciel stared down at the surface of the water for a moment.

_I wonder if I could drown myself in that amount of water… _he thought darkly. He was dreading having to go back into the other room. He knew that Sebastian was waiting for him; the other male's final words replayed in his mind over and over. Even though he never explicitly stated that he was going to have sex with the young boy, it just seemed implied. Also, it shocked Ciel that Sebastian hadn't asked him to dress him. That would've been the perfect opportunity for the demon to get in some extra molestation. The conflicting actions were confusing Ciel's brain. What confused the poor butler the most was which action he wanted the most.

Ciel looked over the tub at the recently mopped floor. It had taken him nearly thirty minutes to clean up all the soap and water that had spilled over. Then, it had taken him another fifteen minutes to drain the tub, clean it, and refill it with water for his own bath. He hadn't really been paying attention when he had grabbed the supplies for his own bathing experience; he just assumed that everything was the same. Ciel lifted a leg out of the bubbly water and watched as the water dripped off and back into the tub. A wry smile formed on the boy's face as he studied the limb; if Sebastian were in the room, he would probably think that the boy's leg was the sexiest and most delectable limb he had ever seen. Ciel tilted his head to the side. To him, his leg looked a little too thin for his liking. But, it was still a perfectly normal limb.

Ciel brought his leg back into its previous position and reached behind his head to grab the bar of soap. He ran the cleaning utensil over his body as he slowly cleaned himself. As he washed, he mentally mapped out his whole body. He came to the conclusion that he was a perfectly normal boy. There wasn't anything particularly sexy or appealing about him. In his opinion, he was too slender, almost like he needed more food, his skin was more pasty than it was pale, and his limbs seemed awkward and lanky to him.

_And yet…_

The prepubescent paused in his washing and brought his free hand up to his lips. He pressed down slightly and thought back on the kiss Sebastian had given him. For some odd reason, he had caught the demon's eye. The male, who could undoubtedly have any person in this world, wanted him. He had even called the boy beautiful! Ciel bit his lip and slid his eyes shut.

_What does he see in me? Could it just be the terms of the contract I have with him? Perhaps…that does make the most sense. I am still his…sex pet. But are demons really that attached to the terms of their own contract? I know I am not ugly or anything, but how could someone like him want a mere mortal like me? Could it be that he just wants to have one good romp with me?_

Ciel's eyes flew open at his final thought. He ignored the sting in his eyes, claiming that it came from the soap in the bath water. He scrubbed his chest and his abdomen before placing the bar of soap off to the side. He cupped his hands in the water and splashed his face. He watched in a slight trance as the water dripped off his chin and jaw back into the tub. He groped to the side and popped open the cap of the bottle. He poured the liquid on top of his head and began washing his hair. He needed to seriously stop thinking about the other male and focus on other matters.

He instantly knew something was wrong. He brought his hands away from his head and looked with shock at how…glossy they looked. He moved one of his hands up to his nose and sniffed. His eyes widened, and he silently cursed. He turned around and grabbed the open bottle. His eyes narrowed before he groaned at his mistake. Instead of grabbing the other bottle of shampoo, Ciel had taken out the bottle of rose oil. Essentially, Ciel had just dumped a large amount of the intoxicatingly sweet fragrance all over his head. He placed the bottle over to the side of the tub. He needed to wash this stuff out of his hair immediately. The dark-haired boy could feel as his hair clumped together and stuck to his forehead.

With a deep breath, Ciel submerged himself in the pleasantly warm water. After a few moments, the boy broke through the surface and quickly refilled his lungs before he dunked himself again. After a few more repeats of that process, Ciel reached over the side of the tub to grab for the bucket of water. He poured the warm water over his head to rinse himself off completely. He brought a hand up to his hair and was relieved that it didn't feel oily. The boy carefully stood up inside of the bathtub and stepped out onto the towel he had placed on the floor. Ciel made his way over to the towel rack and grabbed the last dry linen. He copied his master's earlier method and dried his hair until it was only slightly damp before moving on to the rest of his body.

It was then that it hit him. If Ciel wasn't so prideful, he would've broken down in tears right then and there. He had completely forgotten to bring his change of clothes in the bathroom with him. That meant the boy had to go out in the room where Sebastian was, clad in only a towel. Smelling the way he did, it was almost as if the preteen was offering himself to the other male.

_I'm done for._

Ciel placed the towel in front of his tiny body in a vain attempt to cover as much of himself as possible. As long as he never turned around, he was completely covered. Even though Ciel steeled himself, the boy couldn't stop slight warmth from settling on his cheeks. He wouldn't be surprised if the other male was lying out on their shared bed, completely nude, just waiting for Ciel to enter. The butler swallowed unsteadily and pushed that mental image to the back of his mind. He inhaled and opened the door to the bathroom.

He was completely unprepared for the sight that met his eyes.

It was true that Sebastian was indeed on the bed…but he wasn't lying down, he was sitting up. Not only that, the man was actually **dressed**…fully. The demon was sporting (no surprise) black pajamas and a pair of glasses that Ciel had seen him wear when he was reading over something. Only this time, he looked to be intently writing something in a large book. Ciel had never seen the demon look so focused on something. Finally sensing another presence in the room, Sebastian looked up from his work to see his damp and towel-covered butler looking at him as if he were the oddest thing in the world. The pale man merely gave him a small smile before he returned to whatever it was that he was doing.

Ciel's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He had been expecting the man to say or do something perverted to him. For Pete's sake, he was practically naked! But Ciel wasn't complaining; oddly, he felt his heart slightly warm at his master actually looking content. Still, Ciel was cautious as he moved over to the desk where his temporary night clothing was. He never turned around because his entire backside was out. He didn't want to push his luck. In one fluid motion, Ciel whipped off the towel and pulled on the oversized dress shirt. He quickly buttoned it up, tied his eye patch over his eye, and nervously glanced over at Sebastian. The man wasn't making any moves besides the occasional face twitch and his constantly moving left hand.

Ciel was curious as to what had the demon so focused; he almost opened his mouth to ask but stopped himself. He needed to finish cleaning up first. He moved back to the bathroom and placed the damp towel over the rack and set to draining and cleaning the bathtub. Once that was complete, he grabbed for the bar of soap and the bottle of rose oil and placed them back in the cabinet. He moved the buckets back under the sink and blew out the candles. Finally, he made his way back into the main part of their room to retrieve Sebastian's towel. Once that was put away, he gently closed the door to the other room. Sebastian glanced up before his eyes shifted back to the book in his hand. Ciel cautiously moved over to the bed to pick up the clothes he had folded earlier. He placed them on the desk for the next day.

"Master, what is that in your hand?" Ciel finally asked, curiosity getting the best of him. His voice was like an electric current in the room. Sebastian actually jumped at the sound of his servant's voice. He looked up at his awkwardly standing servant. He hadn't even known that his butler had changed into his nightclothes already. He looked down at the object in his hand and softly smiled.

"Come here, and I will show you. It is not finished yet, so you will have to be patient. I am almost finished," Sebastian called out gently. Ciel was instantly on guard; the man's voice was too…gentle. This had to be a trap. But his curiosity got the best of him. The child butler moved over to the bed and crawled up on top. He moved to the head of the bed and sat rigidly next to the other male. Sebastian chuckled and continued with what he had been doing. Every now and then, he would look over at his companion. That only set Ciel more on edge.

"What are you writing sir? Does it have to do with Jack the Ripper or Father Gregory?" Ciel blurted out. Sebastian smirked and shook his head.

"I am not writing anything. Everything that pertains to that case is in my head," Sebastian responded. Ciel was slightly confused by his master's response. He pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.

"Then…what are you doing?" he asked with perplexity.

"I am drawing," Sebastian answered after a moment. This completely threw Ciel off. He looked over at the content demon with an incredulous look.

"Drawing? I didn't know you drew master," Ciel added as an afterthought. Sebastian's smirk grew at his servant's naïve statement.

"There is a lot that you don't know about me Ciel," Sebastian said mysteriously. Ciel's eyes narrowed slightly at that statement. Once again, his curiosity won. He leaned over slightly to try and peek at what Sebastian was drawing. The immortal being shifted his body so Ciel couldn't see, causing the boy to feel frustrated. Emboldened by his curiosity, Ciel continued to lean towards his master.

"What are you drawing?" he finally asked in a slightly angered tone of voice. As soon as Ciel asked the question, Sebastian finally placed the pencil by his side. He looked at his servant and smiled his first real smile, causing Ciel's heart to skip a beat. He slowly turned the book to face the boy.

"You," he said before he fully turned the drawing to the dark-haired boy. Ciel's eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. On the sheet of paper was a portrait of himself. It was clear that Sebastian had put great time and effort into the drawing. Even though there was no color, it was obvious from the different amounts of shading that Sebastian had been mindful of his hair and eye color. In the portrait, Ciel was sitting at a desk. He was dressed in his normal butler attire, which really looked just like his clothing. He had a book open on the desk, and judging by the small picture of the Earth, it looked as if he was studying. A small candle was sitting on one corner of the desk. His body was turned towards the desk, but his face was turned so that it could be seen fully. Ciel was amazed by how Sebastian had drawn it. His hair fell around his face, perfectly framing it and accenting his strong, defined jawbone. His mouth was set in a small frown, but it looked almost as if it was hiding some sort of secret. One of his eyes was covered with an eye patch, but the other made up for its loss with the amount of emotions swirling in it. There was a mix of sadness, anger, mystery, amusement, and annoyance all identifiable in the eye. However, there were other emotions that he couldn't identify as well. The boy felt as if he could actually get lost in its shaded depths. It was clear that in the picture, someone was interrupting Ciel during his study time. The amazing thing was that he probably would look like that if someone really had interrupted him.

Ciel gaped at the picture for a moment before he looked up at his smiling master. "Did you really draw this?" he asked with awe. Sebastian faked a hurt expression.

"Is it really so hard to believe?" he asked in a matching tone of voice. Ciel rolled his eyes before he was instantly drawn to the picture again. He studied over it for a moment before he looked back at Sebastian.

"For what purpose? Are you going to enter it into a contest of sorts?" Ciel asked. Sebastian shook his head. He moved his arm and brought both of Ciel's hands up. He placed the book in the boy's hands and locked eyes with his servant.

"It is a gift…for you," Sebastian responded simply. This time, Ciel's heart really did stop. When it remembered that it had to beat, it did so at an erratic pace. Ciel was struck speechless by the gesture. Sebastian watched as several emotions flitted over the boy's face: confusion, awe, shock, embarrassment, suspicion, and…happiness. The last one confused both its owner and Sebastian. Ciel wasn't sure why his heart felt so light, why his face felt as if it were radiating warmth, why he felt so at ease. Sebastian released his hold on the book, and his servant sat back in his previous position with the book held between his hands. He set it on his lap and kept on staring at his gift in wonder.

"W-Why are you giving me a gift master?" Ciel questioned softly. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at the question before he too sat back in his previous position.

"Well, I know that you have had quite an overwhelming first few months. What, with not knowing your identity or your past. Also, I did leave you alone for two months with Bard, Finny, and Maylene. That in itself warrants a reward of some sort. Not only that, you went beyond your role in the contract and have chosen to assist me in my work for the Queen. But, the main reason is because I wanted to see you smile," Sebastian said. Ciel turned to look at his master with a confused expression.

"Smile? I am sure I have smiled a few times in your company," Ciel responded. Sebastian shook his head and reached to brush a lock of hair behind Ciel's ear. The boy slightly blushed at the gesture.

"I do not mean a tired or fake smile. I want to see you smile with happiness. As if you are actually having a good time," Sebastian explained. Ciel looked away from his master as a cold feeling settled in his chest. He stared down at the picture and gripped a little tighter onto the book. He wasn't sure why he was so disturbed by his master's wish.

"With happiness? I…do not think I can. I don't…I don't remember how to…I don't even remember if I ever smiled like that," Ciel answered in an almost pained tone of voice. Sebastian studied his now disturbed servant before he released a sigh. Clearly, this boy was much more complex than he had thought. But it made sense to the demon; after all, his soul was nearly blackened with sinful emotions and memories. The only reason he hadn't been devoured was because of the little light that was still present in its depths.

"Ah, I see…well, I would have drawn a picture of you smiling, but you haven't done so yet…so I just drew you with the expression I usually see you with," Sebastian commented after a moment. Ciel smirked at Sebastian's explanation for the portrait. He tilted his head to the side as he studied his portrait.

"How long did it take for you to draw this picture?" Ciel asked with curiosity.

"Two hours. I drew it while you were bathing," the demon responded simply. Ciel gaped at the unfazed male.

"This only took you two hours? But it is so well-drawn," Ciel added with admiration. Sebastian smirked before he ran the back of his gloved hand over the boy's cheek.

"I just couldn't seem to get you out of my mind tonight. So I decided to draw you; it didn't take a lot of effort. I just visualized you in my mind and allowed my hand to do the rest. Although, I would prefer to draw you smiling happily…but I have the strongest urge to draw you while you are sleeping," Sebastian added slyly. Ciel brushed the man's hand away from his face and looked down at his portrait.

"You are such a pervert," he said with absolutely no loathing. Sebastian chuckled and proceeded to stare at the ceiling. The longer Ciel looked at the portrait, the more amazed he was by it. He also had a feeling in his chest that was dying to be released. His eyes kept darting between the artist and the picture. He knew that now would be the time for him to say thank you. Normally, it wasn't that big of a deal for Ciel to exchange such pleasantries. But, Ciel had never received a gift before. Well, that he could actually remember. Also, the thought of thanking the demon made the boy feel nervous. The longer the silence grew between the two males, the more the feeling in Ciel's chest began to overpower him. His face heated up as he looked down at the picture again before looking back at Sebastian. The book began to shake as Ciel's hands started to tremble. He opened and closed his mouth in failed attempts to say thank you. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get his mouth to form the words.

Ciel couldn't take it anymore.

Sebastian's eyes widened when he felt a pair of soft, trembling lips pressed gently to his exposed cheek. Ciel…was kissing his cheek! It was the first time that the boy had ever initiated such a romantic act. It caught Sebastian completely by surprise. After a few seconds, his butler pulled away. Sebastian brought a hand up to his recently kissed cheek before he slowly turned to Ciel with surprise and amazement clearly shown on his face. Ciel was fully facing him while he sat back on his heels. His face was a dark red, almost as red as the color of Sebastian's eyes. The book was clutched against the boy's chest as his eyes darted around the room. When his normal eye locked with Sebastian's, he jumped before his whole body began trembling.

"S-Sorry about that master. I-I-I am not sure wh-what came over me," Ciel stammered out in a breathless voice. Sebastian slowly moved from his position and mimicked Ciel's sitting position. He gently placed his gloved hands on either side of his blushing servant's face. Ciel flinched at the gentle touch and squeezed his eyes shut; he had never been so embarrassed by his own actions. When Sebastian made no other moves, Ciel slowly reopened his eyes. The demon silently analyzed his pet's face. His thumbs stroked the boy's face until he felt the younger male relax into his touch.

"Ciel," he stated calmly. The boy's uncovered eye looked into Sebastian's. "Don't be sorry," his master said tenderly. Ciel's heart thumped as Sebastian slowly brought his face closer to his own. Ciel's eyes slid shut as their lips finally touched in an amorous kiss. The boy's trembling increased as their lips glided and molded together seamlessly. Never had he been kissed in such a romantic way; it completely overwhelmed him. They broke apart after a second only to instantly rejoin. There was no tongue in the first few kisses. It was almost as if their lips were merely being reacquainted with each other. Sebastian's hands migrated from the boy's face to gently run and up down his back. Ciel shivered at the touch before he dropped the book to wrap his arms around his master's neck.

Ciel's worries and fears melted away as Sebastian continued to kiss him. He could feel himself falling…where, he wasn't sure. When Sebastian's kiss became more insistent, Ciel had a feeling he knew where things were going to lead. This was the boy's final chance; if he didn't stop Sebastian now, there was no hope. Ciel felt himself being physically pushed back. He opened his eyes to see Sebastian on his hands and knees. Ciel broke the kiss and held the other man's face firmly to stop the demon from kissing him. The older male had a questioning look in his eyes. Ciel bit his lip and nervously looked back at the bathroom before he looked back at Sebastian.

"Um, master…I think it would be best if we stopped now," Ciel whispered breathily. Sebastian's hands moved from Ciel's back to gently pull the other boy's hands from his face. He set Ciel's hands in their previous position before he pressed another kiss to Ciel's lips. Ciel pulled away. "M-Master…" he said with a slightly panicked tone of voice. Sebastian shook his head and pressed a reassuring kiss to the boy's moist lips. The boy pulled away; it was clear that he was nervous and frightened from what was about to occur.

"We shouldn't-"

"Shhhh," Sebastian shushed him gently before he kissed him again. Ciel's eyes closed as he allowed himself to be lost in the passionate kiss. Sebastian slid his tongue between the boy's lips and began its previous exploration. Ciel softly moaned at the feel of the foreign muscle before he joined in its teasing dance. Sebastian pushed the book off of the bed, wrapped his arms around Ciel's waist, and gently pushed him down on the bed. The boy felt his head softly hit the pillow before Sebastian broke the kiss. He opened his eyes to find himself looking up at the other male.

"Tonight, don't think…Ciel, tonight I want you to just feel," Sebastian whispered. Ciel bit his lip and obediently nodded his head. He didn't know why he wasn't fighting off the older male. Normally, Ciel would've been kicking and screaming at Sebastian. But tonight, he didn't know what was wrong.

Sebastian descended again and literally stole Ciel's breath away with a kiss. The demon broke away after a moment and traced Ciel's jawbone with kisses. Ciel squirmed at the feel and squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't believe what was happening. He was about to have sex with Sebastian!

Sebastian inhaled and raised an eyebrow. He nuzzled his nose right behind Ciel's ear, causing the other boy's squirms to increase. Sebastian sniffed again before he licked the area. Ciel gasped as the sensitive area was kissed and licked. "You smell really good tonight Ciel. Your scent…it's intoxicating," Sebastian commented before he pressed another kiss to the area. The boy inhaled sharply.

"A-Ah…I accidentally washed my hair…with rose oil," Ciel responded. Sebastian paused and leaned back to look down at his butler. Ciel glared at the now chuckling demon. "S-Shut up!" the boy said before he roughly shoved the man. Sebastian fell back with Ciel now resting on top of his chest. The dark-haired child looked down at the man with a triumphant look. The demon smirked at the boy.

"That was quite a naughty thing to do…Ciel," Sebastian commented dangerously. Ciel's eyes widened. He suddenly cried out when a hand sharply spanked his thinly clothed ass. "Naughty boys like you must be punished," Sebastian stated before he chuckled. Ciel's yelps and cries escalated in volume as the demon roughly spanked him. For an odd reason, the boy found himself being turned on by the other man's abuse of his posterior.

"M-Master, ah! Nnn, st-stop it! Yaahah! I-It hurts! Aaaah!" Ciel screamed out desperately. His head was burrowed in the junction between the demon's head and his shoulder. Sebastian's response was to lift the bottom of the boy's nightclothes and continue spanking his bare bottom at a steady rhythm. Ciel screamed at the abuse and tightly clutched onto the man's shirt. Sebastian was spurred on and hit the boy's ass even harder.

"I won't stop until you say sorry for pushing and yelling at me," Sebastian bargained calmly. Ciel shook his head as he moved from his position to glare down at his master.

"N-No! OW!" Ciel screeched when Sebastian delivered a hefty smack to his now raw and reddened butt. The demon smirked at his pet's defiance and used his free hand to begin unbuttoning the boy's one article of clothing.

"Hmmm, it appears as if you are naughtier than I thought. As your master, it is my job to discipline you," Sebastian remarked as he finished unbuttoning the boy's shirt. Ciel's eyes widened as the demon latched onto one of his exposed nipples. He cried out and unconsciously pushed it further into his master's mouth. The pale immortal took it in stride and continued to gently suckle on the boy's nipple while harshly spanking his bottom. Ciel's mind was sent into overdrive; the combination of the harshness on bottom and the gentleness on top was mind-blowing.

"Ahn! Oh my…aaaha! W-Wait! Ah! Ooooh…t-tooooo m-m-much master…s-st-stop!" Ciel cried. Sebastian smirked before he released the nipple. The poor boy above him was gasping for air. The demon's eyes trailed down the boy's exposed front; he was a tad surprised to find the boy's member half-hard.

"And you called me the masochist…" Sebastian commented off-handedly. He pushed the panting boy back into his previous position and spread his legs so the boy's intimate parts could be clearly seen. Ciel's eyes widened, and he quickly moved to close his legs. Sebastian easily pulled them back apart.

"Now's not the time to be embarrassed Ciel…you can't switch from naughty to innocent just like that," Sebastian mockingly scolded. The boy frantically shook his head.

"Hah, m-master…I-I-I am **not **naughty…freaking, hah, pervert!" Ciel panted angrily. Sebastian chuckled before placing the tip of his gloved finger on top of the slit of Ciel's penis. The boy gasped at the feel. He looked down at where his master was touching and was instantly embarrassed. Sebastian brought the digit away from the opening and licked the bead of precum that was on it. "D-Don't eat it!" Ciel cried out. Sebastian smirked as he ran the tip of his index finger along the length of the boy's erection.

"Hmmm, it seems as if your mouth and body aren't working together Ciel," Sebastian responded before he brought the finger up to Ciel's bottom lip. The boy instantly clamped his mouth shut, causing the demon to openly laugh at him. "You are too cute," Sebastian said. He rolled off of the boy to lie beside him. He pulled off his gloves with his teeth and wrapped one ungloved hand around the member. Ciel's eyes widened as he gasped and moaned loudly. The boy brought a hand in front of his mouth and tightly squeezed his eyes shut. Sebastian slowly began to pump the quickly hardening penis. He moved his lips to Ciel's ear. "Such an innocent reaction…have you ever touched yourself before Ciel? Do you think of all the naughty things I've done and that you want me to do with your body when you do so, hm?" Sebastian whispered seductively. Ciel quickly shook his head and squirmed in the man's hold. Sebastian smirked before he used his free hand to pull Ciel's hand away from his mouth. Whimpers and moans instantly filled the room. The butler was so embarrassed by his sounds that he rolled over to bury his face in the man's chest. The demon chuckled as he adjusted his pumping hand.

"Now now, we can't have that," Sebastian stated. He used his free hand to grab the top of Ciel's head. He turned it away from his chest and leaned down to whisper in the boy's exposed ear. "Look at what I'm doing to you Ciel. You are emitting such shameful noises and juices…you feel good don't you? Pay attention so that you know what to do when you are alone at night and you think of me," Sebastian ordered. The contract in Ciel's eye faintly prickled, and the boy reluctantly opened his eyes. His face reddened as he watched his master jerk him off. Ciel's eyes lidded as soft moans and mewls left his mouth. The boy watched as Sebastian's hand was quickly coated in his precum. His toes curled into the sheets as his heart rate picked up. The demon's hand alternated between short, fast pumps and long, slow pumps, driving his pet insane.

Sebastian released his hold on the top of Ciel's head and slid his hand underneath the string of the boy's eye patch. The material slipped off of the boy's head and hit the bed, revealing Ciel's faintly glowing eye. Sebastian moved his hand underneath the boy's chin to tilt his face up. The look of ecstasy, shame, bliss, and embarrassment on the boy's flushed and sweating face caused the demon to become even more excited. Sebastian leaned down and engaged the boy in a tongue-tangling kiss while continuing to jerk him off. Ciel gasped and moaned into the kiss without abandon and clutched onto the front of the demon's shirt. The knot in his stomach was becoming even tighter with every suck on his tongue and every pump on his dick. Ciel broke the kiss to cry out.

"M-Master! Hah…ah, some-something…nnn, something is h-haaappening!" Ciel squealed out. Sebastian smirked before he rolled them back into their beginning positions. Sebastian quickly alternated hands and used his precum-slickened hand to thoroughly blow the boy's mind. Ciel's eyes popped open, and his head shot up as he felt something poke at his entrance.

"W-Wha…ahah! What are y-you d-d-d-doing, oh gods!" Ciel cried out. He watched as Sebastian's index finger smoothly slid into his anus. It didn't necessarily hurt; it just felt weird. That hole was where things came **out**…not where things went **in**. Ciel squirmed uncomfortably as Sebastian began moving the digit in and out of his previously untouched hole.

"Shhhh Ciel. Don't think…just feel," Sebastian calmly reminded the boy. Right after those words, Sebastian added his middle finger. Ciel's head fell back onto the bed as his whole body jerked at the intrusion. Sebastian continued to simultaneously pump the boy's leaking member as he began a scissoring motion with the two digits. He moved his lips to plant an open-mouthed kiss on the inside of one of his butler's trembling thighs. "Untouched…so beautiful. And now, you are mine, Ciel," Sebastian whispered before leaning up to gently kiss the boy's mouth. Ciel gasped and whimpered as Sebastian continued his ministrations. His whole body flushed as Sebastian worked to loosen his virgin hole.

_Hmm, perhaps I healed him too well. His muscles are surprisingly tight…tighter than most virgins…_

"N-No more…ahn! M-Maaaster…t-take…hah…nnn…take them out, ow!" Ciel protested. Sebastian picked up the pumping pace in an attempt to temporarily distract the boy. Ciel's bottom half jerked violently when Sebastian added a third finger, and suddenly, Ciel screamed. White filled his vision when the knot in his stomach suddenly snapped. Sebastian was quick to act. He pulled his fingers out of his butler's ass and aimed the boy's member at the boy's face. Ciel's whole body shook and jerked violently with his first orgasm. Hot semen flew out from the tip of the boy's penis and quickly coated his abdomen and chest. Sebastian smirked as he looked at his panting servant.

_It appears as if I was able to find his prostate…it's a shame that he released so soon…_

Ciel fought desperately to catch his breath as his scattered mind attempted to rebuild itself. Slowly, his body came down from its post-orgasm high, and he opened his eyes to look at his crouching master. His eyes traveled to his cum-covered torso, and his face instantly flared red. Sebastian smirked and bent over the boy's torso. Ciel watched in a daze as the demon's tongue flicked out to lick up the boy's seed. The dark-haired child shivered every time the wet muscle touched his bare skin. When every last drop of the liquid was licked up, Sebastian smirked up at his pet.

"That was quicker than expected…we didn't even get to the good part yet," Sebastian stated mockingly. Ciel's eyes widened; in his naïve state of mind, he had thought they **had** just had sex.

"W-What? We…didn't, hah, have s-s-sex?" Ciel asked with confusion. Sebastian blinked, slightly taken aback, before he chuckled.

"No…what we did do was engage in foreplay, and I prepared you. But I believe that is enough for tonight. It seems as if your body isn't yet ready for other endeavors," Sebastian explained. He moved to get off of the exposed boy, but was jerked to a stop by a small hand gripping onto the sleeve of his shirt. He looked down at Ciel with a question in his eyes.

"Master…you are still hard," Ciel commented in a small voice.

"Yes," Sebastian answered slowly, "but that's why I have a hand and a conveniently located bathroom. I will be fine," Sebastian reassured the other male before he rolled over to his side of the bed. The boy looked down at his nether regions and glanced over at Sebastian.

"I don't mind…" Ciel whispered softly. Sebastian almost didn't catch the boy's words; they had been spoken so quietly. He turned to look at his companion.

"Pardon?" Sebastian asked cautiously. Ciel blushed before he bit his lip. He shakily brought a hand up to his chest and drew an invisible line down to his most intimate of secrets. He poked at his recently prepared entrance and released a tiny moan. He looked over at his master with a serious expression.

"As our contract states, my soul, emotions, and…body belong to you. So, I don't mind if you…fuck me," Ciel finished in a whisper. Sebastian's eyes widened as the boy slowly moved from his previous position on the bed. Ciel crawled on his hands and knees to the other man while Sebastian turned to fully face the approaching boy. When the dark-haired boy reached his master, he looked into the other male's eyes. "Fuck me…master," Ciel breathed out seductively. Sebastian's eyes lidded as the boy reached out shakily to the buttons on his shirt. He watched as his pet slowly unbuttoned his shirt. When the last button was undone, Sebastian shrugged himself out of the material. The demon used one hand to brush the night shirt off of the shoulder of the boy. He kissed the perfectly molded area, causing Ciel to gasp.

Getting the hint, the boy shrugged himself out of his only clothing. He tossed the shirt onto the floor before he backed up to the head of the bed. Sebastian followed closely behind. Ciel lay himself down underneath the other man and seductively smirked up at the demon. "Are you sure Ciel? Once I start…there's no going back," Sebastian said as his final warning. Ciel's smirk instantly turned into an irritated frown. No sooner did his expression change, Sebastian proceeded to kiss the boy underneath him senseless. Tongues tangled as they became reacquainted with one another. Ciel hesitantly reached up to place his hands on the sides of Sebastian's face. The demon broke away and ran an ungloved finger across Ciel's kiss-swollen bottom lip. The look in Sebastian's eyes when he gazed into the other boy's eyes caused Ciel's mind to fog with lust.

"You've been teasing me…" Sebastian murmured before he leaned down to kiss the side of the boy's neck. Ciel gasped and squirmed at the feeling. His hands instantly gripped onto the man's raven-colored hair as Sebastian nipped and sucked at the milky skin.

"Mmm…w-what, aaah, do you mean, nnn," Ciel managed to ask. Sebastian chuckled before he released the skin to examine the new mark on Ciel's skin. He moved down to the boy's chest and flicked his tongue on the tip of one of Ciel's hardened nubs. Ciel bucked up at the teasing touch, causing Sebastian to smirk.

"This body," Sebastian began before he latched onto the nipple, causing Ciel to emit a pleased cry. His grip on the demon's hair tightened, but the pain was like a dull roar in the back of Sebastian's mind. He released the nub and moved to flick the other one. "Every day…you walked around, completely defenseless…not realizing just how desirable you really are. And then, to wear such skimpy clothing to bed…mmm, how much I wanted you is…**indescribable**."

Ciel bit his lip to stop himself from moaning too loudly when Sebastian sucked on one nipple and pinched the other between his fingers. The pain-pleasure associated with the treatment was causing the boy's member to harden and leak more precum. Sebastian released the nubs and moved up to nip and suckle at the boy's sensitive ears.

"Yaahah, m-master!" Ciel gasped out softly. Sebastian smirked before he released the lobe to kiss and lick at the area behind the boy's ear, sending shockwaves of pleasure throughout Ciel's supple body.

"And then," he murmured before he began to plant butterfly kisses across the boy's face and collarbone, "You have the audacity to flirt with other men, even though you belong to me and me only," Sebastian whispered possessively. To accent those words, Sebastian's hand went down and lifted the boy's legs, displaying the boy's puckered entrance to Sebastian's hungry eyes. Ciel flushed at the lewd position.

"Master…w-what, ahn, are you t-t-talking about? I…w-would never do such a sh-shameful thing," Ciel protested with confusion. Sebastian smirked before he kissed the boy's hole, causing Ciel to gasp and squirm. The demon lowered the boy's legs to perch himself over his blushing butler. He reached down to the bed and picked up one of the boy's hands. Ciel looked at his master with bewilderment.

"Last night, you allowed for Sly to kiss this hand…not once did you look disgusted or attempt to pull away," Sebastian reminded the boy. Ciel blinked up at the other man.

"M-Master…could it be that you were j-jealous of him?" Ciel asked cautiously. Sebastian brought the back of the hand to his lips and gently kissed it, causing Ciel's heart to temporarily stop. The man pulled away after a moment and locked eyes with his pet as he stroked the top of the boy's hand and his fingers.

"And if I was?" Sebastian whispered. Ciel's eyes widened before he turned away from the man.

_He has no right to be! It is not as if I have feelings for Sly…I just met him! Even so, it's not like I belong to Sebastian or anything…_

Sebastian released Ciel's hand and used the back of his hand to turn Ciel's face towards him. "You are **mine**. Apparently, you don't seem to understand that…so tonight, it is my job as your master to make sure that you know and remember that. You belong to **me **Ciel Phantomhive," Sebastian said before he claimed Ciel's lips in a scorching, bruising, and highly possessive kiss. The butler whimpered and moaned at the harshness of the kiss. By the time Sebastian pulled away, Ciel's lips were blood-red, and the boy was struggling to refill his oxygen-deprived body. The demon smirked before he kissed his way down the boy's front, stopping just above the belly button.

"Turn over Ciel. I did not think to bring anything to lubricate you," Sebastian murmured against the boy's heated skin. Ciel blinked, slightly confused by the request, but he rolled over and got onto his hands and knees. The immortal being placed kisses down the boy's back, causing Ciel to shiver. He moved up to whisper into Ciel's ear. "Put your hands down Ciel. It will be easier for both of us," Sebastian requested. The boy, once again confused, blindly followed the man's order. He flushed when he turned to see his butt raised proudly in the air.

"Master? What are you doing?" Ciel asked with a hint of worry when he saw Sebastian place his face directly behind his cheeks.

Sebastian's answer?

He parted the boy's cheeks so his hole was exposed and licked the puckered entrance. Ciel gasped and jerked away from the muscle. Sebastian firmly held the boy's hips, preventing the boy from moving, and proceeded to lube his pet. Ciel screamed and trembled as Sebastian used his tongue to lube him. The boy's hands clawed desperately at the material beneath him as the wet muscle continued to violate the area. His breaths came out in short pants and gasps as his mind swirled at the pleasure his body was receiving. He buried his heated face in the pillow to try and muffle his screams, but the demon's keen hearing picked up every single cry. Sebastian intermittently swirled, flicked, and flattened his tongue against the hole as he rimmed the screaming boy for a few moments. He paused and moved to whisper into the boy's red-tipped ear.

"Turn over for me Ciel. I want to see your face," Sebastian whispered hotly. Ciel couldn't form any words at the moment; his response was to bury his face deeper into the pillow and rapidly shake his head. Sebastian smirked and moved back into his previous position behind the boy's trembling bottom half. "No? Hmm, I believe you should be punished for such disobedience." Then, he proceeded to push his tongue past the first ring of muscle.

"AAAAH MAAAAASTER! S-Stop…PERVERT!" Ciel screamed out as his head shot up from its position. Sebastian smirked and continued to tongue-fuck his soon to be devirginated butler. The butler's mind whirled and his heart raced as his breaths came out in needy gasps and cries. Ciel clutched desperately onto the sheets below him and buried his face in the pillow to silence his screams and moans. He could feel the familiar knot tightening in his stomach, signaling that he was about to cum again. He turned around to try and warn his master.

"Aha, m-m-maaaster! Nnn, st-stop…I-I-AAAAH!" Ciel never got to finish his warning. For the second time in one night, Ciel released. He cried out as his cum shot out to coat the sheets beneath him with his essence. The boy's front dropped right into the puddle as he gasped for air. His head spun and black spots began to dot his vision. Sebastian paused in his ministrations and pulled his tongue out of the boy's anus. He looked at his mess of a servant and frowned.

"Now who said that you could cum again?" Sebastian asked in a dangerous tone of voice. Ciel tiredly opened his eyes and weakly looked at his frowning master. Sebastian turned over the boy, covering the boy in more of his own seed. He leaned down and hungrily kissed his blushing partner. Ciel desperately clung onto the other man as he wrapped his legs around the man's waist. The demon allowed for his human bedding mate to roll them over so the boy could be on top. Ciel continued to hungrily kiss the male beneath him as he pressed his flushed and wanting body onto the man. The immortal groaned at the feeling of the heated flesh. He brought his hands to the boy's bare bottom and sensually rubbed the mounds. Ciel broke the kiss and arched his back as he released a lust-filled moan. Sebastian analyzed the hardened nubs that were displayed in front of his face. After a moment of calculation, Sebastian sucked one of them into his mouth. Ciel cried out and clutched onto the man's shoulders.

"Oh gods! M-Maaaaster…" Ciel moaned softly. Spurred on by his pet's whines and moans, Sebastian released the first nipple and moved to the other one. He used one of his fingers and traced the crack from the boy's testicles up to his twitching hole. Ciel shivered at the feel as he buried his face in the man's bare shoulder.

"Y-You…are so disgusting…master," Ciel scolded before he released a wanting moan. The demon smirked before he proceeded to flip them. Sebastian pulled the boy up from the bed and sat him in his lap. Their mouths meshed together in a lust-filled and fervent kiss. Sebastian pulled back and narrowed his eyes at the panting boy in his lap. Ciel winced and released a tiny cry of pain when the man roughly grabbed his hair and harshly pulled his head back, baring his marked throat. The demon began to kiss and nip at the flushed skin, causing the skin's owner to buck and moan in his lap.

"What do you believe should be your punishment for such disobedience and arrogance? Should I fuck you into this mattress and then into the wall? Would you like that Ciel? Do you want to feel my hard cock driving repeatedly into your tiny hole, hm?" Sebastian asked before he tugged on the boy's hair again. Ciel whimpered and clung on tighter to the man's neck. The demon smirked at his pet's obedience and released his hold on the boy's hair. He laid the servant back onto the bed before he flipped him back over. He reached around and began to pump the boy's half-hard erection; this caused Ciel to cringe with embarrassment and for Sebastian to raise an intrigued eyebrow. He leaned over the back of his servant to whisper into his ear. "Heh, you seem to enjoy being treated harshly…just like a good little slut," Sebastian said mockingly. Ciel growled and whipped his head to look at the other man.

"I…aha! I am…hah, hah, n-not a slut! Yaahah!" Ciel protested heatedly. Sebastian smirked and slapped the boy firmly across the butt, causing Ciel to screech.

"Your body and your mouth aren't agreeing with one another again," Sebastian pointed out with slight amusement. Sebastian stopped pumping the boy and reached back to pull his pants off. He groaned as his own erection was finally released. Ciel's eyes shifted and widened at the sight of the other male's member. Sebastian smirked before he used his precum-covered hand to lube his own member. His head fell back as he coated the most sensitive part of his body. Ciel watched the demon pleasure himself with widened and lust-filled eyes. He glanced down at the other male's package and flushed.

_How is all of that going to fit inside of me? He's going to tear me apart!_

Sebastian's smirk widened at the boy's flushed face as he guided the tip of his penis to the boy's thoroughly "lubed" and prepared entrance. For an odd reason, Ciel felt cold fear clutch his heart. This position seemed oddly familiar, and it frightened Ciel. He saw a flash and just for a moment, he felt immense pain as the demon became a masked man that he didn't recognize. He felt a liquid rolling down the inside of his thighs and turned to see blood flowing freely from his body, coating a cold stone floor. Ciel's eyes widened in terror as he whimpered with fright; Sebastian paused when he saw Ciel tremble with fear. He looked down with surprise at his companion to see the boy gazing at him with terror in his eyes. Sebastian could instantly see that his mind wasn't in the room; his eyes had a glossy and faraway look to them. It only took the demon a moment to realize what was going on. He smirked and grabbed the boy's arm.

Ciel cried out when he was flipped onto his back. He looked up at his smirking master with shock and confusion. Sebastian smiled down at his partner and leaned to whisper into his ear. "Do not fear. I will be gentle Ciel…I swear that I will not hurt you. Just relax," Sebastian murmured soothingly into his ear. Ciel felt relief and a sense of safety wash over his body. Those emotions were instantly forgotten as Sebastian pressed the tip to the boy's anus. Ciel's whole body flushed at the feel. Sebastian pushed, and Ciel screamed as his hole was slowly stretched to accommodate the demon. The immortal winced as the boy's muscles clamped painfully onto him. He grunted and continued to push further into the boy. He did so at a slow pace; he didn't want to tear anything. It was one thing to explain cum on the hotel's sheets, it was completely different to explain blood.

Sebastian clenched his teeth as his hands fisted in the sheets beside Ciel's head. He only needed to push a little farther. He was positive now that he had healed the boy's muscles too much. It shouldn't have been this hard to fully situate himself inside Ciel. The boy's eyes were squeezed shut as his hands clutched onto the material below him. It hurt SO…MUCH. Never had the boy thought it would be this painful to have sex.

_And those prostitutes actually find this enjoyable?_

It felt as if he was being slowly torn apart from the inside out. He wanted to yell at Sebastian to pull it out, but his voice was caught in the back of his throat. The only sounds he could make were whimpers and groans. Sebastian looked down at his partner and was shocked by what he didn't see. Instead of hot tears coursing down the boy's cheeks, Sebastian's eyes only saw reddened skin. There weren't even tears developing in the corner of the boy's eyes. It greatly confused the immortal.

"Ciel…are you in pain?" Sebastian asked slowly. Ciel's clear eyes, devoid of tears, snapped open.

"Are…you…freaking…kidding…me? OW…of course I am, ah…in pain…freakin' idiot!" Ciel harshly replied. Ciel's muscles clamped even harder onto Sebastian, causing the demon to sharply inhale.

"C-Ciel…you have t-to relax. You're h-hurting both of us," Sebastian stated through clenched teeth. God, Ciel wanted to smack the man in the face so much right now.

_How can he actually ask something like that at a time like this? It's impossible!_

Several minutes passed as harsh breathing filled the hotel room. Sebastian leaned down to give the boy a reassuring kiss. The boy's whole body trembled at the kiss. Finally, Ciel relaxed his muscles, allowing for Sebastian to fully take him. Both males inhaled sharply at the feeling. The demon internally fought with his own demons not to thrust without abandon into the body beneath him. It just felt so great to finally be inside of the boy. Now that Ciel's muscles weren't clamping him to death, Sebastian found it to be pleasingly tight and very hot inside of Ciel. As for the person on the receiving end, Ciel had never felt so stretched…so full. Sure, it still hurt like hell, but an underlying feeling of pleasure was starting to present itself.

"Ciel…you are so amazingly tight and hot inside. You are so beautiful," Sebastian added before he reached a hand down to stroke Ciel's blushing cheek. Ciel's eyes fluttered open, and he did his best to glare up at the man above him.

"Are…hah…you going to…fuck me…or say, ahn, useless things?" Ciel asked irritably. Sebastian chuckled and removed his hand from the boy's face. He lifted the boy's legs and rested them on his shoulders.

"My apologies," Sebastian apologized with a sexy smile. Ciel's heart stopped for a moment before it started to erratically beat again. Sebastian smirked before he pulled halfway out of the boy's body only to slam back in. Ciel cried out and gripped the sheets until his knuckles turned white. Sebastian repeated the motion, causing the boy to painfully bite his lip to stop himself from screaming. The pain hurt so much; he wanted to tell Sebastian to stop. He opened his eyes and found himself struck speechless. A look of pure bliss was present on the man's face. His face was completely relaxed, his eyes were closed, and a small smile was forming on his lips. Ciel had never seen the demon look so pleased…so happy. The demon began to thrust without abandon into the body beneath him, and the boy clenched his mouth and eyes shut as pain tore through his body. He found that he didn't have the heart to ruin his master's pleasure. As a butler, it was his job to ensure that the master was happy, regardless of his own feelings.

"Ciel…" The boy's eyes opened halfway to see why the man was calling his name. His heart and breathing simultaneously stopped. It looked as if his master was in heaven…if this was a different time, Ciel would've smirked at the irony of the statement. "Ciel…Ciel…oh, Ciel…" Sebastian repeated again. Ciel's eyes widened as the man continued to chant his name and thrust into him. If the boy was going to ruin his fun before, there was no way he could do that now. The way he called his name…Ciel wanted nothing more than to make sure that Sebastian was as pleased as possible.

No matter how much his body hurt.

A particularly hard thrust tore through Ciel's body, causing him to scream in pure pain. The boy's scream seemed to snap Sebastian out of his trance. The demon immediately stopped pushing into the child and opened his eyes. He was shocked by what he saw.

His pet was gripping onto the sheets beneath him with a death-like grip, his eyes were filled with nothing but pain and agony, and his chest was rising and falling at an alarming rate. His bottom lip was bleeding from how hard he had been biting it to silence his screams. Sebastian blinked; Ciel shook his head and motioned to where the other male was currently buried in him.

"W-What…hah, hah hah…a-a-are you d-doing? C-Continue…" Ciel breathed out. Sebastian shook his head and cupped the side of the boy's face with one hand. Ciel tiredly leaned into the kind touch. The boy pressed a shaky kiss to the palm and softly glared at the other man. "D-Don't…worry…ab-about me…I-I-I will be alright," Ciel assured the other man. Sebastian's eyes softened before he tenderly smiled at the boy. He kissed the boy's cheek before he nuzzled it, causing Ciel to wiggle.

"Now what kind of master would I be if I couldn't allow for both of us to feel pleasure? Do not muffle your voice; let me hear your cries and moans. Allow me to bring both of us to the peak of such sinful bliss," Sebastian requested softly. He pulled away from the boy's slowly reddening face. Ciel shakily nodded, and the demon's smile morphed into a sexy smile.

Sebastian began a pattern of thrusts as he finally took away his pet's virginity the right way. He would alternate between soft, shallow thrusts before he would suddenly thrust deep inside of Ciel. Sebastian made sure to focus entirely on the tiny body beneath him; the last thing he wanted to do was be called a liar and end up hurting the younger male. Especially since his race had an inability to lie. The boy was still in great pain, but Sebastian was pleased to hear some of his pain-filled cries morph into ones of great pleasure. On one particularly deep thrust, Ciel screamed with pure ecstasy. Sebastian paused to look down at his panting pet, who looked up at him with surprise.

"Oooh, master…th-that felt-"

"Good? It is only going to get better now…" Sebastian promised huskily. Ciel's eyes widened as Sebastian proceeded to abuse his prostate. He whined and moaned loudly as he drowned in a sea of pleasure. His hands scrabbled at the sheets beneath him. His breathing became frantic as his heart rate increased. He felt amazing; his body was heating up so much that he could actually feel beads of sweat forming on his forehead. His hair clung to his moistened skin, and when he felt his cries were becoming too loud, Ciel clamped his mouth shut. Sebastian smirked at his pet's attempt to silence himself and gently kissed the boy to silence him for a few moments. He pulled away and continued to thoroughly corrupt his pet with each new thrust.

Ciel wanted to touch Sebastian. Occasionally, his hands would release the sheets but he found his courage would fail him every time. He felt himself falling into an abyss of pleasure and sin; he knew what they were doing was wrong. It was taboo and would be looked down upon by everyone in society. That's why Ciel needed, dare he say, some sort of comfort. He needed to know that he wasn't the only one who was falling into such a dark and forbidden world. He needed something solid to hold onto; something alive.

"M-Master…maaaster, aha! I-I c-can't…yaahah! Master…" Ciel whimpered. Sebastian paused at the tone of his pet's voice. He looked down to see Ciel blushing and staring at him with a lost and slightly frightened look in his eyes. A bead of sweat dripped off of the demon's chin as he smirked. He reached for the boy's shaking hands and brought them to wrap around his neck. Ciel locked them in that position as Sebastian leaned down to be face to face with his pet.

"If you would be so kind, I would like to be able to hold you close so that when the time comes, we may orgasm together," Sebastian requested before planting a sweet kiss on the boy's trembling lips. Ciel melted into the kiss and was thoroughly shocked when Sebastian began to thrust even harder into his body. The pet screamed and clung on to the other male's body as he was once again submerged in mind-blowing pleasure. He wrapped his legs around the other man's waist as Sebastian embraced the boy underneath him. The bed began to creak and move as Sebastian's pace became more ruthless and untimed. The lewd sounds of slapping skin added to the orchestra of gasps, grunts, cries, and moans that filled the room. Even if Ciel wanted to stop now, there was no way that the demon could've heeded his request. That wasn't going to be a problem; the boy was too far gone. Ciel no longer cared about the other hotel inhabitants; he felt so **good** that the only way he could express his pleasure was through screams and moans.

"Y-YES! Oh gods…m-m-moooore! D-D-Don't stop! D-Don't…mmm, don't y-you, oh! Don't you dare st-stop! YEEEEES! Maaaster…h-harder! F-F-Faster, aha!" Ciel cried desperately. He began to meet his master's thrusts, only causing his prostate to be hit even harder. He threw his head back and squeezed his eyes shut as he clawed at his master's back. Sebastian smirked at the boy's attempt to cause some sort of pain before he bit and sucked at the boy's exposed throat, adding another sensation into Ciel's pleasure-filled mix.

"I-I…oh! I-I-I think I'm going to…ahn!" Ciel gritted his teeth as Sebastian changed the angle of his thrust. Ciel pulled the other male down as he moaned loudly. Sebastian smirked before he panted his final request in Ciel's ear.

"Say my name…Ciel. Scream it out as you drown in pleasure." Ciel's eyes snapped open at the request. He wildly shook his head and pushed the other male away. Sebastian continued to thrust into the boy's shaking body.

"N-No way! Tha-That's too embarrassing!" Ciel cried out. Sebastian smirked and thrusted even harder into Ciel. The boy screamed as the knot in his stomach tightened. It was almost unbearable now…his mouth was more than willing to scream the other male's name, but his pride wouldn't allow for him to do such a scandalous thing. It would mean that he was openly acknowledging that the other male had brought him pleasure. He fought with himself as Sebastian wildly buried himself inside his body.

_No matter what happens…I have to remember not to say his name…_

His mind went blank as Sebastian thrust into him one last time.

"S-Se-Seb-Seba-SEBASTIAN!" Ciel screamed as he came for the third and final time. The last thing the boy remembered was the feel of something hot filling him to the brim and a soft murmur of his name.

**XXX**

Ciel's eyes snapped open when he felt something warm and wet running over his stomach. He jerked up and came face to face with Sebastian. The demon gave him a quizzical look before he held up the wet towel.

"I was just cleaning you off," Sebastian stated. Ciel blinked and looked around at the now dark room. He held his head as a sharp pain shot through it with one hand and laid back as the older male cleaned his cum-covered body off. His head hurt, and his whole body felt sore. His heart was still wildly beating, and his body was just starting to cool off.

"Wh-What happened?" Ciel croaked out. He winced as he swallowed; all of that screaming had left his throat raw. The demon smirked as he parted the boy's legs to clean his now limp member and the outside of his anus. Ciel watched with fascination as a sticky, opaque liquid dribbled out of the reddened hole. He blushed when he realized that it was Sebastian's seed.

"You blacked out for a few minutes after you had your third orgasm of the evening. In that time, I cleaned myself, redressed my bottom half, changed the sheets, and halfway cleaned you off. I must say, for someone who refused me the moment I touched you sexually, you seemed to thoroughly enjoy it tonight," Sebastian said slyly. Ciel glared at the half-naked man and opened his mouth to instantly deny it, but a flashback of their final moments together reappeared in Ciel's mind. The boy groaned and covered his eyes with his hands. There was no way that he would be able to live this down. The demon chuckled at Ciel's reaction and moved off of the bed. He walked back into the bathroom to hang the towel on the rack before he made his way back into the room. The demon moved over to his side of the bed and climbed under the covers.

Ciel inhaled sharply when a hand snaked around his naked waist. He found himself halfway on top of his master; his head was resting on Sebastian's unclothed chest as the demon stroked his naked back. Ciel narrowed his eyes.

"Master…what do you think you're doing?" he asked suspiciously. Sebastian paused and looked down at Ciel.

"Cuddling of course. If I remember correctly, this always takes place after a virgin loses their virginity. It is a comforting gesture," Sebastian explained with slight confusion. Ciel rolled off of the other man to climb under the covers. He moved back into his normal sleeping position.

"Che, I do not need that sort of thing. I am not a woman," Ciel said coldly. Sebastian blinked at the boy's back. He continued to watch until he saw a tiny chip in the boy's armor. Sebastian smirked before he grabbed the boy's arm and pulled him to his side again. Ciel blinked; there's no way that Sebastian had seen him tremble. He had barely felt himself do it!

"Ah, now that won't do. You might hurt my feelings; I need some comfort as well," Sebastian said in a teasing voice. Ciel rolled his eyes and resisted the urge to snuggle into the man's warm chest.

"Why do you need comfort? It is not as if you were the virgin," Ciel mumbled as slight warmth settled on his cheeks. Sebastian chuckled.

"Well, it was my first time with you. Does that not count as being a virgin?" Sebastian asked with mock innocence.

"You have got to be kidding me. You know for a fact that doesn't count…" Ciel said with slight irritation. Sebastian smirked before he continued his earlier gesture. Ciel tensed under the gentle touch at first before he finally relaxed against the other male. It was clear that the demon wasn't going to allow the boy to sleep anywhere else anyway. A comfortable silence settled over the two sated males. Sebastian suddenly chuckled, breaking the silence. Ciel tensed before he looked up at the smirking demon.

"What is so funny?" he asked cautiously. Sebastian moved his hand from Ciel's nude back to run it through his hair.

"I was just thinking…if all it took was a picture to get you to willingly crawl into bed with me, I should've just done that from the beginning," Sebastian answered. Ciel's eyes widened before he jerked up from his position on top of the other man. He glared at the smirking demon.

"I knew it! I knew you had some sort of perverted plan," Ciel accused angrily. Sebastian chuckled and placed a kiss on the boy's forehead. The demon moved back into his position before he spoke again.

"To be honest, I actually had no plan whatsoever for this evening. I merely drew that portrait to help me relax because I did not think that I would be able to have sex with you tonight. I was actually going to just let you sleep peacefully tonight…I guess my original plans were ruined," Sebastian finished good-naturedly. Ciel flushed with embarrassment. If that was the case, then that meant…

The boy bit his lip before he moved back into his previous position beside the demon. Ciel brought up a hand and aimlessly drew with his finger on Sebastian's chest. Sebastian wrapped his arm around the boy's naked waist and pulled him closer to his side. Ciel adjusted his head and rested it on top of the man's chest. He relaxed against the male as Sebastian's chest steadily rose and fell. He could faintly hear the demon's heartbeat, which began to lull him to sleep. But something was preventing him from falling asleep. The demon could sense that the boy had a question. He patiently waited until the boy worked up the courage to ask.

"Does it…always feel like this?" he finally asked coyly. Sebastian feigned ignorance.

"What?" Sebastian asked. Ciel's finger paused in its circling motion as the boy burrowed a tad into the male's chest.

"What we just did stupid," he hissed out. Sebastian smirked before he planted a kiss on the top of Ciel's head.

"Alright…so you're asking if it always feels amazing, sensational, pleasurable,-"

"Painful…is it always…painful?" Ciel abruptly cut in. Sebastian blinked and said nothing for a few minutes. When the demon didn't respond, Ciel flushed before looking up at the man to tell him to forget about his question.

"That's something you are going to have to decide for yourself," Sebastian finally said. Ciel blinked at the male's response.

"What do you mean? Wasn't this just a onetime thing?" Ciel asked with confusion. It was Sebastian's turn to look confused. Ciel sat up slightly and balanced himself on his elbow. "Didn't you just want to have one good romp with me and then move on to someone else?" Ciel asked again. Sebastian smirked before he leaned up to plant a tender kiss on Ciel's lips. Ciel's heart warmed at the gesture, and he tilted his head to the side to allow the demon to kiss the side of his neck and the area behind his ear.

"I swear, I wonder where your mind comes up with such conclusions," Sebastian murmured before he nipped the boy's earlobe, earning him a small moan. "This is anything but a onetime thing. I had to hold back this time because you were a virgin. Next time, however, will be a completely different story," Sebastian whispered lustfully before he proceeded to suck on Ciel's neck. The boy's eyes popped open when the weight of the demon's words finally hit him.

_Oh my God…what have I done?_

_

* * *

_

**J-C: Gosh...I can't believe I wrote 19 straight pages of sex...I am such a pervert!**

******Naruto: Finally! She admitted it Sasuke!**

**~Sasuke~ Took her long enough...**

**J-C: Well, that's it folks! The long awaited sex scene has finally taken place...so what did you guys think?**

******Naruto: Perverted...**

**~Sasuke~ Slightly kinky...**

**J-C: Is that a good or a bad thing?**

******~Sasuke/Naruto~ Bad.**

**J-C: *freaks out before she realizes the sarcasm in their voices* Gosh, I hate you guys so much...**

**~Sasuke~ The feeling is mutual...**

**J-C: *rolls eyes* Anyhoo, that question was actually meant for my readers. So readers, what did you guys think? This was my first time ever writing a lemon (I've read plenty of them before though ;D)...it was much harder than I thought. But I need your guys' feedback. Did I do terribly? Was there too much perversion for your liking? Should I delete this chapter and reduce the rating of this story to T (well, actually I can't do that because of the amount of gore that I've written already...)? The only way I'm going to know is if...you guys review! You all have done such an amazing and mind-blowing job of reviewing so far! So plz, continue to review, favorite, and story alert this story if you still like what your reading. Oh! And I just wanted to apologize for updating one day behind schedule...the reduction of writing time is taking its toll...but it was harder this time since I was writing about mansex...so hopefully I will see everybody much sooner (translation: I will try to update on Monday like I'm supposed to!). Thank you again for your support, and I hope everyone's inner fangirl/fanboy has been sated. I know mine has... ;)**

**Ja ne for now! ^-^**

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anon: ***nervous laughter* Yeah, I think I might've overdone the gore a little...but at least you're accepting of it! Lolz, poor Ciel is the perfect target for such things...in a sense, we are all doing that to him by thinking, reading, and writing about him and Sebastian doing naughty things to each other. ^-^ I think that if Sly had been William, he probably would've been more condescending and disgusted...you're definitely right about Grell though! He would probably try and eliminate Ciel immediately. The Undertaker was probably too busy making his "guests" beautiful...but he was probably the best guess out of the three. Anyhoo, I just wanted to take the time to thank you for reviewing. So thank you! ^0^**

missjasmin: **Wow, thank you very much! I'm glad that my story is getting progressively better. I will continue to work hard so that you don't take back that statement. ;) I will try to update as soon as I can! Thanks for leaving such a kind review! It means a lot! ^0^**

Zozo-Chan: **Nice variation of the word snap...it sounds like it would be koolio to say out loud, lolz! I'm such a dork sometimes...anyways, it seems as if I'm putting Ciel under a lot of stress. I hope I don't end up accidentally killing him from it all. I think this is the third time that he's thrown up since I started writing this story...poor Ciel! Ah well, it's all for the best...I think. Thanks for reviewing again! It's much appreciated! ^-^**

andrea: **Teehee, I'll definitely do my best. Even though humor isn't really my forte...it's more of an accidental occurrence when I write. ^-^' But I'm glad that I could write enough suspense to make you sit on the edge of your seat. I like writing things like that; I guess I just like the rush of adrenaline when suspenseful things happen. ^0^ Awww...thankies so much for being so patient and understanding! I'm really happy to hear that you loved this chapter as well. Hopefully you likey Chapter 10 as well. Thanks for leaving such a kind review! It means a lot to me and has greatly improved my mood! ^-^**

Shirogane-san: **Woot woot! I feel like doing a cheer now...but I'm terrible at athletics and cheerleading... -_- I'll have a silent cheering moment instead! But I'm happy that you liked the 9th chapter so much! I was worried that a lot of people would be put off by the amount of gore and violence that was in it...very glad that isn't the case! Ahaha, my knee is still a tad sore because of the first episode; I would be angry but I'm too happy and excited about how everything went down. Can't wait for more (even though the 2nd episode was a little eh to me...)! ^0^ No dear, not Kuroshitsuji for life...KUROSHITSUJI FOR ETERNITY! Heck yes, lolz! You know, Claude's hairstyle doesn't seem to match his personality...his hair is kinda spikyish but his personality is so dead...his hair should be flat and just hang there. ;) Thankies a bunches for reviewing and sharing your thoughts with me! ^-^**

Kuro Neko-chan: **Good afternoon (since I'm responding during the day for a change)! ^-^ Ahaha, that was originally my thought for naming the OC that...but I decided to get a little creative because I like being unique like that! But I'm very happy that you like his looks and everything. I think as long as he stays a few miles away from Ciel, he will be able to stick around for the remainder of this story. ;) You're so lucky that you have a personal maid that's your sister...my sister would never be my personal maid (even though I'm younger than her but that's not the point). ;_; Teehee, maybe we should hook them up; I'm sure Sly wouldn't mind! ;D *snaps fingers* I knew I had the year wrong...I had a feeling in my gut telling me that it was one year later but I was too lazy to go back and check on it...but yep, I read about the whole history of Jack the Ripper, so I know those dates are right, but it's really koolio that you know the dates too! But at least I was right about which person Sebastian and Ciel couldn't save...hmmm, somehow that's a sad thing to be right about I think. As for Ciel and his jealousy, well, he's just a stubborn little boy...he would never admit to actually having such feelings for someone he supposedly hates. I'm glad that you liked my addition of the Undertaker to the character list. As for Grell, we shall just have to wait and see! ;D Ahaha, someone should make a music video all about Sebastian and title it that. It would be so EPIC (and hot)! ^-^ Yes, Kuroshitsuji was epically awesome (as to be expected when you have Sebastian the sex in it again)! I knew the moment I heard Daisuke Ono's voice that the person was Sebby! My fangirl ears would never lie to me! ^-^ I love Alois too; he kinda reminds me of myself a little...minus the whole psycho part...*smirks* Teehee, your nose just may or may not be correct. You'll have to read on to find out if your prediction is correct! Once again, I just wanted to say thank you for reviewing another chapter of this story. This amount of dedication means so much to me! So thank you so much for doing so! ^0^**

Miko: **DING DING DING! You are correct my friend! I did a whole project on the bacteria Yersinia Pestis, so I'm psyched that you caught that! As for the Queen in the anime, she died from her husband's body parts rotting on her...ewww *shudders at the memory*. Ahaha, I honestly think the only reason that I'm updating so fast is because it's summer vacation and I have way too much time on my hands. I'm not sure if I'll be able to update as frequently during the school year...we shall just have to see! But I'm glad that you look forward to my updates; it makes me willing to push past my laziness and start typing at a much faster rate. ;) I'm kind of a fan of fluff too...but I don't like the cheesy kind. I like the heartfelt kind that makes you sniffle and go awww at the same time. But my perverted side loves steamy smex scenes. XD That's probably why I've got Sebby being a little sweet to Ciel; it warms my heart every time I write those types of scenes. Anyhoo, the whole trademark thing is definitely going to be a continual thing...because I'm lazy and because a lot of people like it. I absolutely don't mind long reviews; a review is a review. I'm just glad that you did so again! I will work hard to update, I just need to change a few things. Thankies for reviewing! ^-^**

An Artist of many: **Sure thing! Lolz, just kidding...or am I? We shall just have to see how Chapter 10 goes down... ;) Oh my goodness, Sebby totally owned Claude in that battle! I loved when he said that he was going to bathe everything that was gold in black. Gosh, I almost died; my heart was racing so fast. Lolz, don't feel bad, I'm a dork too! When Sebastian said that line, I actually nodded my head and replayed it just so I could hear him talk again! But I find what you did to be hilariously funny; it looks as if Sebastian has got a hold on both of us. ;D Anyhoo, enough fangirling, I just wanted to say thank you for reviewing this chapter. It means tons and tons to me, so thank you! ^-^**

hannah: **Lolz, I'm sure that's the thought that is going through everybody's minds. Sorry that I couldn't update on time...stupid limit on writing. But don't worry; more is definitely on the way! Thank you for reviewing! ^-^**

kay: **It's great to see you so excited just from reading the first chapter! I'm glad that I was able to catch your eye. Way to have an optimistic outlook on the rest of the story! I hope that you like the other chapters as much as you liked the first one! Thank you for leaving a review! ^-^**

lilly: **Awwww, thankies so much for saying that! It's comments like that that have helped my confidence in writing improve immensely. ^-^ So thank you for saying that. Wow; I'm really glad that you are so supportive of the interruption in the 8th chapter. I was worried that I might've added Sly in at the wrong time, but it looks as if I ended up making the right decision in the end. I just hope I don't make the smex happen too soon now... *fidgets nervously* Teehee, thankies for saying that! I like well-rounded stories that aren't all action but aren't all romance either. So it makes me really happy to hear that my story is turning out to have more than just molestation and perverted thoughts. ;D Thank you for having such faith in my writing; I swear I won't let you down! Oh, and your welcome! ^-^ As for the whole responding thingie, that's pretty much the main reason that I do so. I really do care about what you guys think because it seems pointless to me to write a story that no one truly likes. Plus, the readers are what truly make a writer; without you guys, I probably would've disappeared from this site a long time ago. So seriously, thank you for being dedicated to what I write. It's because of that dedication that you and other people care enough to leave reviews with your thoughts, favorite, and put this story on alert. So the least I can do is show that I appreciate such dedication by responding to every single review. ^-^ So thank you for reviewing! It truly means a lot to me! ^0^**

Waga: **Thank you so much! I'm very happy to hear such a compliment! That's some serious dedication though...my chapters are really looooong... Teehee, I'm so happy that you like Sly too! It pleases me greatly to hear that you and a lot of other people enjoy his presence. Ahaha, I couldn't resist having Sebastian have something to do with Sly's name; he's just epically cool like that! ;) Oooh, that gives me shivers to hear you say that. I'm glad that my description is getting better; although, I do apologize for making you feel that way. Bile is not a very pleasant taste, I know that for a fact *shudders*. I find that whenever Ciel worries about Sebastian in the manga/anime, it makes me feel all tingly inside. I couldn't resist adding such moments into this story. Ahaha, according to Ciel, he didn't say exactly what feelings he has for Sebastian. But the demon has definitely got a chance now! ^-^ I will continue to work as hard as possible to produce a quality chapter. Thanks for reviewing!**

SebaCieLuver: **Thanks you for saying that! It makes me feel like I actually have a chance of writing a humor-type story...maybe. ^-^ I'm sorry for the scary part in the 9th chapter, but I'm glad that you still liked it! I'm getting really good at writing those types of scenes...which is slightly shocking considering that I'm not a big fan of such things. -_- Well, things change! ^0^ I'm glad you liked the ending scene; I just felt that I had to add that in so that people had something to look forward to in the next chapter. ;) Consider Ciel's jealousy in this chapter to be like the comic relief; I know this chapter definitely needed it! ^-^' Alois is scary...in a cute way to me! I love him; he's like me! Only I'm not a psycho...but I do have sadistic tendencies...they just aren't as pronounced as his *shudders at the memory of the hannah scene*. But I'm so psyched to see Sebastian and Ciel again! I squealed when Sebby's face was revealed in the 1st episode, and I died laughing when I saw Ciel in a suitcase (It was such a WTF moment)! The 2nd episode was okayish to me...Sebastian was epic when he made their lunch...and when he tried to hide all the things that were going wrong with the food *laughs hysterically at the pigeon scene*. As for the new opening, LOVED IT! Gosh, I am addicted to it; I watched it more times than the 2nd episode, lolz! I love the song too! I'm addicted to it too! I've played it over 20 times in the past hour... ^-^ I liked seeing the differences between Ciel and Alois in the opening *remembers the tea scene*. Can't wait to see the epic butler battle that is definitely gonna happen! Whoa, sorry for going off-topic a little there. My main purpose was to tell you thank you for leaving a review and telling me your thoughts on the 2nd season, not to have a fangirl meltdown. So before I go into fangirl mode, thank you for leaving a review! ^0^**

Assasin of Secrecy: **It's okay! Lolz, I don't mind when you review. A review is a review to me! And your second sentence in your review is so true. No one can resist Sebastian the sex (sorry, it's kind of an inside joke...ignore me!)! ^0^ Hopefully I can weasel my way out of this punishment like I have been since I was old enough to be grounded (which was when I was 2 I think...). ;) Ahaha, a Buffy writer sounds pretty epic! My parents go to sleep pretty early but they have insane hearing...I'd probably end up having a heart attack if I turned around to see them standing behind me. But don't worry, this chapter will get written one way or another; thanks for the suggestions! *snaps fingers* Darn it! I'm totally gonna go on a rampage to try and figure out what the error was...but thanks for letting me off the hook again! I find that whenever someone is resistant to someone as good-looking as Sebastian, it makes it 10x better when they finally do give in. ;) Yay for liking the OC! I'm really psyched that you like his hair color too! His hair isn't really spikey...it's kinda wispyish if that makes any sense... ^-^' Awww, well that's too bad. But I'm sure that it will be good even if it doesn't contain any yaoi! Thanks for keeping me updated! Ahaha, you're the first person to mention that! Yes, you can say that Sebastian did get jealous too...it seems as if both of them are in denial of their jealousy at the moment. ;D And that's totally koolio! Review whenever you can; no pressure whatsoever! ^-^ Thanks for reviewing again! ^0^**

CIELSEBAS: **Wow...that's some serious dedication! I apologize for the really long chapter lengths...I usually don't update as often as I have been so I tried to make my readers happy by updating with ridiculously long chapters... ^-^' But props to you for doing so! Awww, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I'm so glad that I updated on that day now! I hope you have a wonderful birthday! You've already given me something; a lovely review that I wholeheartedly appreciate! Thank you for doing so (and for liking my story so much)! ^0^**

Sasha: **Oh my goodness, I'm so honored! I'm so happy that you chose to review my story first! I feel really special and happy right now! I will do my best to update as soon as possible! Thank you for both leaving a review and for praising my story in such a way! I thank you from the bottom of my heart. ^-^**

CC44ILLU: **Ahaha, that's the perfect thing to say! I'm glad you like my story that much...I will work hard to update as soon as I can. I just want to make sure that all of my updates are quality ones. Thank you for reviewing! ^-^**

Epic: **First of all, I love your name! ;) One of the best words ever created! ^0^ Lolz, I'm sure that we all want to be in Ciel's shoes at this moment. Who wouldn't want to see a naked and wet demon and actually be able to touch him? *nose begins to bleed at the thought* Whoops, sorry about that! ^-^ But I'm glad that you liked the 9th chapter enough to leave a review. It is very much appreciated; so thank you for doing so! ^0^**

LOLWUT: **Nice use of the word LOL *points at name*. ^-^ Anyhoo, I'm really happy to hear that you feel that way about my story! It makes all my hard work actually worth it! ^0^ Yeah, I add those little scenes as a kind of intermission...that way it's not always action action action. It's like action, kissing scene, action, loving scene, and more action. I find I prefer that pattern much more! ;) We shall just have to see about Sebastian finally getting his future uke...I wonder what Chapter 10 holds for Ciel *smirks* Oooh, thankies so much for the cake (and for the review)! It means ton to me (and my stomach lol)! ^0^**


	11. The Kidnapping

**J-C: Oh my goodness gracious me! I think I'm going to die you guys...**

******~Naruto/Sasuke~ O.o**

**J-C: What's with those looks?**

******Naruto: *grabs J-C and starts to cry dramatically* WHY J-C? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO DIE?**

**J-C: I don't mean it literally...**

**~Sasuke~ Dobe...**

******Naruto: *lets go of J-C and sheepishly laughs* Oooookay then...but what did you mean?**

**J-C: Well, life has been crazy for me dear readers. A little over a week ago, I accidentally downloaded a virus on my computer! O.O I almost died because it was screwing up the Internet and stuff...but my genius computer skills totally pwned that thing; I killed the virus! ^0^**

**~Sasuke~ Yeah...it takes a REAL genius to do that...**

**J-C: AND, I was just reminded that school is going to start for me in just 8 days! T_T WAAAAAH! I don't wanna go back! I have to take a college math class (I'm terrible at math...) AND I have to get up at five in the morning (I hate waking up early...) AND I might not have as much time to write and stuff...**

******Naruto: That's terrible J-C!**

**J-C: But...**

**~Sasuke~ Oh great, there's more...**

**J-C: The biggest reason I'm going to die is because of...THE FANSERVICE FROM THE SECOND SEASON OF KUROSHITSUJI! *squeals excitedly***

******Naruto: Um...**

**~Sasuke~ I knew it was gonna be a stupid reason...**

**J-C: It's not a stupid reason! Do you realize how much holding has been going on? Oh my goodness, in every single episode (excluding the first one XD), Sebastian has held Ciel bridal style. But Episode 4 totally had my fangirl side gushing with happiness *tries really hard not to spoil it for those who haven't seen the fourth episode yet*. It was just so...EPICALLY CUTE! *attempts to calm self down in order to introduce the chapter* Teehee, sorry about that...but I guess I'm trying to cheer myself up...**

******Naruto: Should I kiss Sasuke to make you feel better J-C?**

**J-C: Sure why not?**

**~Sasuke~ Gosh, I hate you J-C... *kissed by Naruto***

**J-C: *smirks* I think I'm becoming more and more like Alois every day...I find that I get great enjoyment from making Sasuke suffer... *evil smile*. But anyhoo, I guess I feel bad because...I DIDN'T UPDATE AT ALL LAST WEEK! But I do have a reason for it...my Orientation turned Leadership Camp (I get to go to a shiny, brand new campus! ^0^) took place from Monday through Thursday from 8 am to 12 pm. Because I was exhausted from having to wake up pretty early to get there on time, I totally forgot that I was supposed to update One Hell of a Master on Monday...which kinda sucks because I had Chapter 11 typed out all prettiful and stuff... AND, the Internet has been acting all funky and stuff, so I've been limited to about three hours a day on the computer...which is definitely not enough time to type a chapter AND respond to reviews all at once... -_- Then, on Monday (of this week XD), I logged on and found that I had 70+ reviews for Chapter 10 (HOLY JIZZNIT! I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THAT! ^0^). My mind is thoroughly blown from what you guys did...seriously, that is INSANE! *squeals happily* Because of the HUGE amount of reviews I got, it took me three days to respond to them all, which is why I'm updating on Sunday instead of Thursday (yep, I still had to answer some reviews today too! ^-^). But I'm definitely not complaining! I'm really happy to hear that so many of you liked the lemon I cooked up in Chapter 10...my confidence is soaring at the moment...even though I've now set the bar really high for my next one. Lolz, so thank you guys for your thoughts and even slight critiques for the spacing problems that I edited. ^-^'**

******Naruto: *breaks off kiss* J-C, don't forget to tell them about your surprise to make up for your depression...Sasuke, why didn't you remind her?**

**~Sasuke~ *passed out from lack of oxygen***

******Naruto: Whoops...**

**J-C: Right! So because I felt so bad about not updating on time, therefore throwing off my whole update-every-week thing, I'M POSTING TWO CHAPTERS AT ONE TIME! *throws festive confetti* That's right everybody! Instead of just one chapter, you guys are getting two! If you think about it, it's only fair (plus, I want to brag about having a chapter for every week)...I mean, I understand what it feels like to have to wait for something you really really like *cough* Kuroshitsuji Season 2 Episodes *cough cough* Kuroshitsuji manga chapters *cough*. So, it's the least I can do to make up for not updating at all last week. So hows about we get started?**

******Naruto: Right after our Disclaimer and Warnings, right?**

**J-C: Right again Naruto! Here's some ramen for ya! ^-^**

******Naruto: Yay! *drops Sasuke and dives for ramen***

**Disclaimer: If I owned Kuroshitsuji, those holding moments that have been going on would be 10x longer than they currently are, Elizabeth would've been assassinated by Grell a LONG time ago for annoying Sebastian because she annoys Ciel, and Alois would've already crossdressed (won't spoil it!)...since none of the above have happened (yet?), I clearly do not own Kuroshitsuji! ^-^**

**Warnings: *cracks knuckles* Alrighty, lets see...we have language (I've really gotta chillax with that...), sexual situations/themes (as always! ^-^), BOY x BOY love (not as much as last time...I don't want to overload everyone's inner pervert, teehee), and violence (It's not as bad as it was in Chapter 9, but it's still bad...blood and gore and stuff...yucky! :P).**

**J-C: As always, thoughts look like this (**_Sorry for not updating..._**), regular dialogue and stuff looks like this (**My one update a week streak has been ruined!**), emphasized words look like this (Darn you leadership camp!) or like this (_More fanservice please!_****), (XXX) stands for scene/time changes, and sound FX look like this (BAM!). Alrighty, so I shall see everybody at the bottom of Chapter 11 of One Hell of a Master! Enjoy your reading experience! ^-^**

* * *

**Chapter 11: The Kidnapping**

Once again, the hated sun was the reason Ciel woke up from his peaceful slumber.

The young butler groaned before snuggling deeper into the sheets.

_Hmmm…wait a minute… sheets?_

The boy's eyes popped open before he quickly shut them after thoroughly blinding himself with sunlight. This time, he peeked out and ran a hand over the area where his demon master should've been resting. Ciel rolled off of his side to lay flat on his belly before he used his arms to push up his top half. He looked around the empty room with bewilderment. A sharp pain suddenly shot through his head, and the boy winced before collapsing back onto the bed.

"Hm, so those are the side effects," Sebastian commented. Ciel lazily turned his head to see Sebastian sitting in the windowsill. He glared at the man and groaned as another shock of pain shot through his stuffy head.

"What…the hell are you talking about?" he asked through gritted teeth. Sebastian smirked before he moved from his perch to sit on the bed. He used a hand to brush the bangs out of the boy's eyes. The contract eye was faintly glowing but every now and then, it would suddenly pulse brightly. Every time it did so, Ciel would wince.

"It seems as if our activities from last night have resulted in a power overload in our contract together. I had a feeling that I should've released on you, not in you," Sebastian stated as an afterthought. Ciel blinked and looked at the male with confusion.

"Activities? Last night? What the hell are you talking about?" Ciel asked angrily before he pushed himself up. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot up from the base of the boy's spine. The boy gasped at the pain before he fell onto the bed once again. Sebastian blinked at his companion's reaction.

"What the hell did you do to me?" Ciel hollered. Sebastian chuckled before he crossed his legs.

"Well, I wasn't **planning** on doing anything…" the demon began smugly. Images of the night they spent together flashed through Ciel's mind. His face lit up with an embarrassed flush; he couldn't believe he had done such a thing! With Sebastian of all people too! Ignoring the pain in his lower back, Ciel shot up from the bed and grabbed onto the front of the male's overcoat. He clenched the material and growled at the smugly smiling demon.

"You seduced me! You tricked me with that portrait, and you lied to me with the whole sob story of wanting to give me a gift and drawing other pictures of me. You just wanted to have sex with me!"

"Actually, I did not trick or lie to you. And if I remember correctly, you were the one who seduced me…I think you actually asked to be fucked by me," Sebastian said thoughtfully before he removed the boy's hands from his material. Ciel put his face in his hands; he was so ashamed. How could he have asked to be done by the other male? He was never going to live this down. Sebastian moved off of the bed and back to the windowsill to pick up the book from last night. Ciel warily watched the immortal as he made his way back over to the bed. He turned the book towards the boy. "See? I actually got the chance to draw you sleeping. I must say, you are really cute when you sleep," Sebastian stated. Ciel glanced down at his sleeping face before he glared at the other male.

"That doesn't make you an innocent party in all of this! You are supposedly the adult here; you could have told me no!" Ciel argued. Sebastian shrugged his shoulders.

"What would have been the fun in that?"

"WHAT?" Ciel screeched. Sebastian tilted his head to the side and studied over his angered pet for a moment.

"Why are you so angry? I didn't do anything that you didn't want or ask for…" Sebastian pointed out. Ciel's blush flared on his cheeks again as the image of him screaming for more popped into his mind.

"Th-That's beside the point! And what is this whole power overload thing that you were talking about earlier?" Ciel asked in a hasty attempt to change the topic.

"As you know, the contract present on my hand and in your eye inevitably bonds us in more ways than one. So when we proceeded to be…intimate together last night, some of the power that is in me transferred temporarily into your body. Because you are the contracted and not the contractor, your body can only have a certain amount of power…which is very little. Hence, the shocks of pain you are not only experiencing in your lower back, but in your head as well. Also, because I came inside of you, you got some of my demon power as well…of course, that is temporary as well," Sebastian explained. Ciel gaped at the unfazed demon before he moved to sit cross-legged on the bed. He winced as another shot of pain raced up his back. The boy crossed his arms and paused when his hands touched material and not skin. He looked down at his body to find himself dressed in his temporary nightclothes.

"Ah, I took the liberty to dress you before I moved to begin to draw you. You are quite a deep sleeper," Sebastian commented. Ciel said nothing and turned his head to look at the door of their room. This was all too unreal to him; only four days ago, he had been a virgin and a proud one at that. Now, he had engaged in a forbidden act with the man he hated and had actually enjoyed it. Not only that, **he** had been the one to initiate it all. Ciel felt so dirty…

"If it's any comfort," Sebastian cut in, snapping Ciel out of his brooding, "You were amazing last night," he said in a seductive tone. The boy jerked his head in the demon's direction with an incredulous look.

"Sh-Shut up! To say such things…" Ciel was cut off by Sebastian kissing him. The boy blinked and froze as the demon kissed him. Sebastian pulled away after a moment to find his pet looking at him with a calculating look. The demon could see the boy's request in his eyes; Ciel was asking for another kiss. Sebastian was more than willing to grant it. Ciel's eyes slid shut as the demon pressed another kiss to his lips. The kiss began as a light touching of lips; it quickly morphed into something much hotter. Ciel wrapped his arms around Sebastian's neck and pulled the male down. Sebastian caged the boy underneath his body as he plunged his tongue into his pet's mouth. Ciel moaned at the feeling of the now familiar muscle before his own joined in. The sounds of their breathing and the wetness of the kiss quickly filled the once silent room. The demon ran one of his hands down the boy's side all the way to his raised and uncovered thigh, causing Ciel to shiver. Sebastian reluctantly pulled away from the kiss. Ciel opened his eyes to look at his master with a questioning look.

"I am quite tempted to spend the entire day in bed with you," Sebastian whispered before he used the back of his gloved hand to stroke the boy's slightly reddened cheek. Ciel swallowed nervously at the request as his heart thumped. "However, there are matters that I must attend to immediately if we want to return home on time," the demon added. Ciel blinked before he released his hold on the man's neck, allowing for Sebastian to get off of the boy. He had completely forgotten about the four day limit. The immortal moved off of the bed and adjusted his slightly rumpled clothing.

"What are we going to do about Father Gregory master?" Ciel asked before he sat up. He gasped as another sharp pain shot from his lower back. Sebastian turned around to appraise the boy sitting on the hotel bed with a reassuring smile.

"**I** will handle Jack…**you** are going to stay here and rest. Your body is in no condition to…negotiate with him," Sebastian said smoothly. Ciel stared at his master before he narrowed his eyes.

"No way; I'm coming to!" Ciel protested. Sebastian shook his head and made his way to the door without a backward glance. The boy glared at the man's retreating back before he carefully scooted to the edge of the bed. He did his best to ignore the throbbing in his back as he marched after his master. Ciel grabbed onto the man's arm. Sebastian sighed before turning around.

"Ciel…"

"Master, I'm your partner! Is it not my job to assist you? I can help!" Ciel bargained. Sebastian gently removed the boy's hand from his arm before he turned to fully face the child. He cupped the boy's face between his gloved hands and lifted his head so Ciel could look into his eyes.

"Master…"

"Ciel, I do not want for you to get hurt…or possibly killed. If you truly wish to assist me, stay in this room and wait for me to return," Sebastian said tenderly. He could faintly see in the boy's eyes that the child was worried for his safety. He had every right to be; based on what they had both witnessed last night, Father Gregory was not a normal human. But Sebastian figured that he had a better chance against the man than if he brought Ciel along. It would be the worst if the boy were to die prematurely; his soul still wasn't ready to be devoured. Ciel's eyes narrowed before he brushed the man's hands off of his face.

"You expect me to stay in this room for the whole day? I might die of boredom!" Ciel stated incredulously. Sebastian chuckled before pointing at the window. Ciel followed the man's pointing finger.

"Actually, it is almost time for the sun to go down. It is already 4:30 in the afternoon. I wanted to wait for you to wake up before I left this room. Besides, I most likely won't be gone for more than four hours anyway," Sebastian explained good-naturedly. Ciel huffed before turning to look at the other male. Worry was now clearly shining in the boy's eyes. He could feel Ciel's anxiety filling the room. A sympathetic look flirted over Sebastian's face before he softly smiled down at his butler.

"But, if you truly wish to assist me," Sebastian began in a matching tone of voice, "Allow me to kiss you good-bye?" Sebastian requested with a hint of amusement. The amount of blood that rushed to Ciel's head and settled on his cheeks couldn't have been good for his health. Ciel's eye twitched as he nervously glanced around the room.

"I-Idiot! I am not your wife," Ciel mumbled. Sebastian chuckled before he beamed at his blushing servant. He placed his hands on the boy's hips and patiently waited. Eventually, the boy reluctantly turned to look up at his master. Sebastian's beaming smile toned down to a reassuring one before his hands migrated to the boy's thin waist. He pulled the boy's tinier body to him and gently pressed him closer. Ciel sighed with defeat before he wrapped his hands around the man's neck.

"I am going to stay in this room for exactly four hours…if you are even a minute later, I am going to leave and hunt you down for lying to me," Ciel said in a clipped tone as he weakly glared at the demon. Sebastian smirked before he began leaning down.

"Understood," he breathed before giving Ciel his third kiss of the day. Ciel stood on the tips of his toes to better kiss the taller male. The boy ignored the sting in the back of his eyes and the fear that clutched at his heart. This was the first time that they had been separated since Sebastian had departed for two months. He couldn't help but feel a tad anxious about having the demon leave him behind. Sebastian used some of his contract power to relax his servant; he needed to be completely focused on capturing Jack the Ripper. If he allowed his thoughts to travel back to Ciel, the results could be fatal. He needed to leave knowing that Ciel was alright.

The kiss had a desperate undertone to it; this slightly worried Sebastian. He knew that he was going to be fine. He was a skilled demon; he had dealt with these types of cases before. Of course, Ciel didn't know this information. He had seen Sebastian fight against humans…but Father Gregory clearly wasn't human. Ciel had no idea what the outcome could possibly be. In an attempt to soothe the child, Sebastian used one of his hands to gently run it up and down the boy's back. The touch was the trick; the desperation in the kiss slowly melted away, putting Sebastian's fears to rest. Ciel allowed himself to place his full confidence in the demon's abilities. If Sebastian got hurt or even killed, Ciel would definitely injure him even more or bring him back to life to beat the shit out of him for failing to do his job.

After a few moments, the two males finally broke away from the kiss. Ciel opened his eyes halfway and looked up at his smiling demon master. A lump formed in the boy's throat, and Sebastian gently bumped his forehead against Ciel's. The boy closed his eyes and breathed deeply. The sound of something jingling broke the silence, and Ciel opened his eyes to see Sebastian dangling their room key in his hand.

"To assure you that I will be alright and that I do not return after nine this evening, you can lock me out of the room and let me back in when I return," Sebastian bargained before removing the boy's hands from his neck and placing the key in one of his hands. Ciel looked at the object for a moment before he closed his hand. He looked up at his master and smirked.

"Are you sure this is smart? I just might get the urge to lock you out to make you sleep in the cold for fucking me and then leaving me behind," Ciel said smartly. Sebastian raised an eyebrow before he motioned to the window.

"I think you would miss me too much to do such a thing. But, I can always get in through the window if worst comes to worst…however, I might not allow you to ride back with me and Simon if you do so," Sebastian added slyly. Ciel frowned before he growled at the other male. Sebastian breathed a silent sigh of relief; the witty banter between them meant that Ciel was relaxed. He could leave in peace and focus entirely on the task at hand. With that thought in mind, Sebastian pressed a gentle kiss to the boy's frowning mouth; as expected, Ciel melted into the kiss. Sebastian pulled away after a moment.

"I will be back shortly," he whispered before pecking the boy's trembling lips one more time. He stood straight up and turned the doorknob. He turned to look at the boy one final time before he walked out the door and left his butler behind.

**XXX**

Sebastian placed his hands in his pockets as he walked down the London streets. He had forgotten his hat and cane back in the hotel room, and the demon felt slightly exposed without them. His eyes traveled to his side before they quickly moved to face the front. This had been the third time that he had looked at the spot where Ciel would've been walking beside him. Sebastian dryly smirked; it seems as if Ciel had had a bigger impact on him than he had originally thought. The demon had been working as the Queen's Watchdog for many years now. He was used to working alone. In fact, he preferred it.

Or so he had thought.

In a span of just three short days, Sebastian had gotten used to and had even liked having someone accompany him. Ciel had proven to be a dedicated and intelligent partner. Having him along made it easier for Sebastian to go undercover; for instance, if Ciel hadn't been his partner, he wouldn't have been able to sneak into the confessional and learn how Father Gregory sounded. Yes, Sebastian had started to slightly rely on his human pet.

Which was dangerous.

Considering the line of work that the demon was involved in, it was a strong possibility that Ciel could die on one of the Queen's assignments. If Sebastian began to depend on the boy, it would only hinder him in the long run. The immortal sighed and looked around at the people walking on the sidewalk. If there weren't so many humans walking around, Sebastian could've been halfway done with his plan for the day. Sebastian sighed again as he continued to walk at a normal, **human** pace. Sometimes the demon wondered why he bothered to hide his true self; it's not as if he would see any of these people again. Besides, it was quite obvious from his appearance that he wasn't human.

Well, at least it was to him anyway.

Sebastian chuckled at the stupidity of humans. To them, he was just a strikingly good-looking male in his early twenties. The many women and men that had flirted with him would be frightened and shocked if he revealed his true self (and age) to them. The only people that hadn't been scared into a coma were his faithful servants; in fact, they only seemed to like him even more.

Sebastian turned the corner and continued walking at his leisurely pace. Finally, the demon arrived at his first destination. He looked up at the purple sign and frowned. He hated coming here but he needed to confirm that Marie Jeanette's body had arrived here. The demon sighed again before he opened the door to the Undertaker's shop. The jingling of the bell over the door signaled the man's arrival. His blood-red eyes scanned the seemingly empty shop.

"Hehe, Earl has come to visit me so soon…this is delightful!" the Undertaker said excitedly before rising up from the inside of the coffin directly at the male's feet. Sebastian wordlessly looked at the creepy gray-haired man.

"What are you doing in there?" he asked emotionlessly. The Undertaker chuckled again before he climbed out of the coffin.

"I am ensuring that my newest guest is sent to another world in lavish comfort of course, heh heh," the man replied. Sebastian shook his head at the man's idiocy.

"Have you brought it?" the Undertaker suddenly asked. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at the question. The look of slight confusion on the demon's face caused the other male to frown. That frown quickly morphed into a secretive smile. He brought one long-nailed finger up to his lip before he giggled. "I guess I'll just have to wait a little longer…but not too long I hope, hehe," the man said mysteriously. The demon appraised the mortal man for a moment before he decided to ignore the man's weird request.

"Undertaker, you said that you had a new guest a couple of minutes ago…" Sebastian prompted. The gray man nodded his head excitedly before he reached into the gray satchel that was strung over his shoulder.

"Oooh, this guest was the best one yet! I am having quite a time making her look stunning for her final day," the Undertaker replied before giggling madly. The creepy man eventually pulled out a jar. Sebastian looked at the embalmed human heart for a moment before he looked at the other male.

"Why are you showing me a child's heart?" Sebastian asked. The Undertaker said nothing; the only response Sebastian got was a slowly widening smile.

"Hehe, this is the last heart I have in stock…this is quite fortunate news for my next guest," the Undertaker finished gleefully. Sebastian smirked at the man's statement.

"I think not. The newest guest you had will be the last one…well, that's killed in that way," Sebastian commented confidently. The Undertaker cocked his head to the side.

"Oooh? What makes the Earl so sure?" the Undertaker asked. Sebastian mysteriously smiled before he turned away from the eerie male.

"Just a hunch. Thank you for your information Undertaker. I most likely won't be back for quite some time, so do try and stay out of trouble," the demon said politely. The Undertaker's chuckling caused Sebastian to pause in his tracks.

"I think the Earl will be pleased to know that I'm almost finished with my custom-made coffin. I hope to see you sooner than you think, Lord Michaelis," the Undertaker said before bursting into a manic giggling fit. Sebastian said nothing to the haunting statement. He gently shut the door behind him and stepped out onto the street. He looked up at the sky; it was now twilight. The demon sighed before he walked in the direction he had just come from. By the time he reached St. Mary's Cathedral, it would be dark outside.

Sebastian's prediction turned out to be correct. The moon could be clearly seen when Sebastian finally stopped walking. The demon looked up at the stain glass portrait of the Virgin Mary. He breathed in deeply and closed his eyes. He needed absolute focus in order to do this. The immortal cleared his mind before he heightened his senses. He could now hear the scurry of a tiny mouse's feet as it crawled out from a crack in the building's foundations. The sounds of humans walking and chatting exploded in the man's eardrums; Sebastian instantly tuned out the outside world. He focused his senses solely on the cathedral. Although it was Tuesday, Sebastian could hear the rustle of fabric, signaling that someone was in the main part of the church.

The demon slowly opened his eyes. He focused on where he had heard the sound and looked right through the stone of the building. His unnatural eyes scanned over the solitary man praying in one of the pews. He wryly smirked before his powerful eyes looked over the rest of the church. There was no one else in the main part. Sebastian turned his head and looked in the direction Ciel had gone for confession. He sharpened his senses even more to glance into the wooden confessional booth; not a soul in sight. The immortal continued to search through the church. When no sign of Father Gregory presented itself, Sebastian took a cautionary sniff. His nostrils picked up the scent of incense and the stench of a pure soul. Sebastian's mouth twitched with disgust.

_That must be the human who is praying in the main part of the church…_

Sebastian sniffed a few more times to see if he could detect Father Gregory that way. It was a possibility that his eyes had missed the priest. When he still didn't smell the man, Sebastian closed his eyes and drew back his power. After all of his senses had been restored to their dullest forms, the demon opened his eyes. He glanced around at the people walking by before casually moving towards the gate near the side of the church. Faster than any human's eyes could possibly catch, Sebastian moved through the gate. The pale man walked leisurely to the building where the priest was probably sleeping.

_After spending so much time out last evening, he must be exhausted. It would make the most sense that he would be in his quarters._

Sebastian moved to the doorway of the hidden building and smirked. This was sure to be an interesting reunion. The pale immortal opened the door and slipped into the priest's residence. He listened intently for the sound of breathing. When the only sound was his own, Sebastian began to grow suspicious. He cautiously moved through the silent house and glanced into rooms as he passed by. His eyes scanned the kitchen, living room, and the bathroom. They never once caught on anything alive. Suddenly, the sound of breaking glass filled the building. Sebastian flattened himself against the wall and stopped breathing. His hand slowly moved into his pocket and wrapped around his letter opener.

The sound of breaking glass had come from the priest's bedroom. Sebastian slowly made his way down the long hall to where Father Gregory's room was located. He stood directly outside of the door and listened to the sound of shuffling feet. This had to be his target. Sebastian's grip tightened on his weapon before he opened the door.

His eyes widened in shock as a man that clearly wasn't Father Gregory looked up from stuffing his brown sack. The man's eyes widened in fear, and Sebastian instantly recognized him as the man that had been praying in the church. When the demon made no moves, the human male took his chance and dove out of the cracked window.

What? It wasn't Sebastian's job to stop the guy from robbing the priest. He was here to take care of Jack the Ripper, not to stop a robbery.

But the thing was, there was no Jack the Ripper here to stop. After a few more minutes of careful searching throughout the lifeless house, Sebastian gave up his search. He moved back out onto the street and looked back at the church with a question in his eyes. He reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out his pocket watch. It was now 8:45 at night. Sebastian smiled wryly.

_It looks like I will be locked out of our room…_

The man put the watch back into his pocket and turned to move back into the side area of the church. This was probably the fastest way to get to the prostitute house. Sebastian shook his head at the idiocy of his target.

_Why in the world would he go back to the same place three times in a row? Surely by now, the other women will start to see a connection with the murders and his visits. It is almost as if he is trying to get caught. Well, this will be a much easier assignment than I originally thought. Although I will most likely have to visit the Undertaker again in case Father Gregory killed another whore in the time it is taking me to arrive there…_

Sebastian's hand that had been reaching to open the back gate jerked to a stop. He began to think back on the Undertaker's words from earlier in the evening. The man had been talking about a custom-made coffin almost being done; he had showed him a jar with a child's heart, saying that it was perfect for his next guest, he had said that he would be visiting him much sooner than he had thought, had asked if he had brought it, and when he had said no, said Sebastian would bring it soon... Sebastian's eyes widened as it suddenly hit him.

"Shit!" Sebastian cursed loudly before he quickly turned away from the gate. He had to get back to the hotel before Father Gregory got there first. Ciel was in danger! He reached the front gate in milliseconds. The demon almost tore open the iron fence, but stopped himself. He couldn't run at his fastest speed; there were too many humans in the vicinity. Sebastian swore under his breath before he sprinted out of the gate, not even bothering to close it behind him.

He tore out onto the sidewalk and sprinted at the fastest pace that a human could go. It seemed too slow for his liking but it would have to do for now. He weaved and dodged through several people, not even bothering to stop and apologize for startling some of the ladies. He couldn't believe that he had been so stupid. Of course Father Gregory wouldn't think to attack the same place three times in a row. He must've caught wind that the Queen's Watchdog was onto him. The best and smartest thing for the priest to do would be not to wait for Sebastian to catch him, but to attack Sebastian first.

Or in this case, his companion.

**XXX**

Ciel sighed for the umpteenth time before he flopped backwards onto the bed. He had changed out of his nightclothes and was dressed in his regular clothes now. He had never been so bored in his life. For the past few hours, he had done absolutely nothing besides eat, take a short nap, and repack their suitcase. Now, Ciel was impatiently waiting for his demon master to return.

For the hundredth time, Ciel's uncovered eye looked at the locked hotel door. He sighed when he didn't hear approaching footsteps. His eyes shifted up to the ceiling.

_Where the hell is he? I should've just gone with him anyway instead of being distracted by his words and kisses…_

Faint warmth settled on the boy's cheeks as he thought back on the five kisses he had received today. He licked his lips before he rolled over to look out the window. The pain in his lower back had steadily decreased as the hours had gone by. Now, it was barely noticeable. Ciel frowned at the thought before he rolled onto his stomach. He didn't know exactly what time it was, but it looked to be close to nine in the evening. Ciel smirked at the thought of having the privilege of locking out his demon master. In the boy's mind, the man deserved it for not only having sex with him last night, but also for preventing him from accompanying him.

Ciel sighed before he buried his face in the pillow. He had never thought that he would actually want to be working at the moment. He would be willing to do anything to kill his boredom. A flash of a sweaty Sebastian perched over his flushed body appeared in Ciel's consciousness. Ciel shot up from his position and rapidly shook his head.

_Okay…maybe not anything. If there is one thing that I won't __**ever**__ do again, it is have sex with that guy. I am __**not**__ some horny whore…I have standards and morals!_

Ciel glanced over at the packed suitcase and bit his bottom lip. Curiosity getting the best of him, the boy moved off of the bed to stand in front of the bag. He got down onto his knees and opened the carrier of their items. Placed neatly on top of their folded clothing was Sebastian's sketchbook. Earlier in the day, he had gotten a glimpse of the latest portrait Sebastian had drawn of him. Since he was so angry at the time, he hadn't gotten the time to thoroughly look at the drawing. Ciel removed the book from its place in the suitcase and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. He placed the book in his lap and flipped to the page directly after the picture Sebastian had sketched last night.

Once again, Ciel was awestruck by just how amazing of an artist his demon master was. Ciel smirked at the picture. Of course his master would be good at drawing; he was pretty much perfect at everything he did. In this picture, Ciel was, of course, sleeping. Somehow, Sebastian had sketched the picture to where it looked as if the moonlight was reflecting on his face. The boy looked to be completely at peace. Ciel's hair fell over his closed lids, and his eyelashes were finely drawn. His mouth had a faint smile, almost as if he was having a pleasant dream. His hand was positioned right underneath his bottom lip, and it was curled in a tiny fist. The picture only showed the boy from his shoulders up, but at least Sebastian had the decency to draw him with his clothes on. Ciel's smirk turned into a soft smile as he was drawn into the picture. Even though he looked slightly more effeminate than he would've liked to be, he couldn't deny that the portrait was very nicely drawn. Thank goodness Sebastian wasn't in the room right now because Ciel was beginning to have that feeling in his chest again.

A sudden knock on the door caused Ciel to jump with surprise. The book slipped off of his lap and hit the floor. Ciel sighed.

"Coming! Just give me a moment," Ciel called out before he moved to the floor. He picked up the book and set it back in its place in the suitcase. Two more insistent knocks followed closely behind. Ciel closed the top of the carrier with a huff.

"I said I'm coming!" Ciel shouted with slight irritation. Another knock sounded on the door, further agitating the child. Ciel growled before he stood up. He marched angrily over to the door. Another knock cut through the silence. Ciel threw open the door with fury clearly on his face. "For God's sake Sebastian, I said I was coming…" Ciel trailed off as his face went ghostly white.

Standing in the doorway wasn't Sebastian.

It was Father Gregory.

Ciel's eyes widened as he looked at the smiling priest. Images of last night flashed through the boy's mind, causing fear to clutch at his chest.

_Calm down Ciel…this man has been targeting prostitutes…I should be fine. Plus, he doesn't know that I was at that house last night. I can't give anything away._

The color in the boy's face slowly returned as Ciel calmed himself down. He coughed into his hand before he looked up at Father Gregory. "Oh, Father! I was expecting someone else…"

"Sebastian Michaelis I assume?" Father Gregory asked good-naturedly. Ciel's eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"How do you know my master's name?" he asked. The priest laughed before he reached a hand out to ruffle the boy's hair.

"Everyone in London knows Earl Michaelis. His name is common knowledge in this city," the man explained. He brought his hand away from Ciel's hair and stared down at the boy with a kind expression. Ciel blinked at the man as he did his best to fix his hair.

"I see…well, if you wish to speak with my master, I am afraid that you came at the wrong time. He is not here at the present moment," Ciel stated in a business-like tone. Ciel moved to close the door, but a hand stopped the boy from closing it.

"That is quite alright. I actually came to speak to you," the priest cut in. Ciel was instantly on guard.

"For what reason?" he asked cautiously. The priest held up his hands in a non-threatening gesture before he laughed.

"I assure you that my intentions are holy. I always pay personal visits to new members of the congregation. I feel that the only way for newcomers to take the first step to getting closer to God is by feeling welcomed in His house," the priest explained. Ciel glanced down the hallway and urged Sebastian to hurry. Surely by now the man had figured out that Father Gregory wasn't at the cathedral. "I will only be a minute. I just wanted to have a quick discussion with you is all," the priest hurriedly added. Ciel focused his attention on the balding man.

"Newcomers you say? Well then, perhaps we can have this discussion when my master ret-"

"Earl Michaelis has already been visited by me once before. Although he is not a frequent attendant, I have already met with him," the priest cut in. Ciel nervously bit his lip before he finally stepped away from the door.

"Well then, do come in," he said formally before turning around to walk back to the bed. He could hear the priest's shuffling footsteps as he walked into the room. He gulped when he heard the door close behind him. Hopefully the priest's intentions were really holy, and he wasn't about to go into Jack the Ripper mode on him. But just in case, Ciel glanced over at the pillow where the pistol Sebastian had given him on their second day in London was hidden. If worst came to worst, Ciel was prepared to shoot the man. The boy sat close to the pillow on the side of the bed. He leaned back slightly so that his right hand was slightly underneath the pillow.

"If you don't mind my saying, you have exquisite looks," the priest stated. Ciel gave the man a wary look, causing the priest to wave his hands dismissively.

"No harm intended my child. It just seems a child like you must be…tempted quite often by others…perhaps by other young ladies or even some ungodly men," the priest continued calmly as he made his way towards the boy. Ciel faked innocence as his hand slid even further under the pillow. The tip of his middle finger grazed over the handle of the weapon.

"Tempted? How so Father?" Ciel asked in an equally fake tone of voice. The priest chuckled and wagged his finger at the boy before winking at him.

"Don't play innocent with me. It is a sin to lie my child. I can recognize your voice from anywhere; we spoke in the confessional," the priest pointed out. Ciel's eyes flashed as his playing innocent act was shot down. He slightly narrowed his eyes as he leaned further back on his hands.

"Father, I thought that anything said in a confessional booth was supposed to remain in the confessional booth. Besides, my sins have already been forgiven by God," Ciel stated coldly. The priest chuckled before he took a seat beside Ciel. A silence settled between the two.

"You have betrayed God by acting on your impulses," the man suddenly said in an equally chilly tone of voice. He turned to look down at Ciel, who had a blank expression on his face. "You have committed quite a sin my child. By laying with another man…"

"What? I have no idea what you are talking about Father…"

"You were limping my child; I saw you. You have acted on your lust and had sex with another man. You have compromised your virtue," the man said in a slightly angry tone of voice. Ciel's hand slid closer to the gun. All of his fingers minus his thumb were now resting on the handle of the pistol. The priest sighed before he reached out and grabbed Ciel's chin. Ciel winced as the man harshly grabbed his other wrist.

"Father…"

"You have become a whore in the eyes of God by committing such an act," the priest rumbled. Ciel's eyes widened as he weakly struggled in the man's grip. His hand was completely wrapped around the handle of the gun.

"I am not a whore…"

"Don't lie to me," the man said in an impatient tone of voice. The priest's grip on Ciel's thin wrist and his chin tightened considerably.

"Ow! Father, you are hurting me…" Ciel said. The tone of Ciel's voice snapped the priest out of his angered trance for a moment. He released the boy and stood up from his position on the bed. He stood with his back to the boy for a second as he breathed deeply. The priest turned and Ciel watched, horrified, as the man's muddy brown eyes slowly bled into a sickly yellow color.

"D-Demon! You are a demon!" Ciel shouted out. The priest grotesquely smirked.

"Now now, let's not make such assumptions. A whore like you should watch their mouth. Now the only way to atone for your sin is to allow for me to cleanse you. The first step is to admit that you are a whore," the man explained. Ciel wildly shook his head and moved his index finger so that it was hooked around the trigger. He used his thumb to release the safety of the gun. The demon growled at the boy's disobedience.

"Say it!" he shouted out. Ciel shook his head again. The crazed being suddenly calmed down and smiled at the panicked child.

"No? Well, I guess I am going to have to **show** you how lewd you have become," the man said. At the exact same moment that Ciel whipped the gun out from beneath the pillow, the demon pounced. Ciel cried out as both of his wrists were violently gripped and slammed down over his head, making him lose control of the gun.

**BAM!**

The bullet went harmlessly passed the demon's face and hit the ceiling. The priest was panting from above the younger male. Ciel watched in terror as the man's teeth elongated to form vampire-like fangs. He struggled desperately against the man; the demon watched with an amused smile. Ciel screamed with pain when the demon broke one of his wrists, causing him to drop the gun onto the bed. The boy glared up at the man with anger and pain reflected in his uncovered eye.

"R-Release me…you bastard! Unless…you want to be put down by the Queen's Dog," Ciel threatened. Father Gregory frowned before he used his free hand to harshly backslap the boy across the face. Ciel winced but refused to cry out. The boy painfully turned his head to fully face the frowning demon.

"Don't you **dare **try to threaten me…you will be cleansed long before your precious **master** returns…whether you want it or not!" the priest roared. Ciel smirked before aiming a perfect kick at the man's groin. Father Gregory howled with pain; his grip on the boy's wrists slightly loosened, allowing for Ciel to move. The dark-haired child slid his hands out of the man's grip and brought his legs up to kick at the man's shoulders. The priest went flying off of the bed. Ciel took his opportunity and rolled over to grab the gun with his other hand. He turned and was sent flying by a punch to his temple. The boy saw stars as his back crashed into the wall. Ciel crumpled to the floor and gritted his teeth as shockwaves of pain traveled throughout his body.

"Hah…hah…do you…**really** think that I am frightened of your worthless master?" the priest said angrily. "Sebastian Michaelis…heh, you are the worst kind of whore. To be taken by a joke of a demon. He and other Halfies like himself should have been eradicated **centuries** ago!" the demon hollered out. Ciel shakily picked himself up from the floor. He leaned back against the cracked wall and pointed the gun at the panting demon. His head spun, and Ciel had the strongest urge to vomit again.

_Oh no…I can't get a commotion…not now…_

"Wh-What are you…talking about?" Ciel demanded. The demon smirked before he raised his hand. Ciel's eyes widened as the man's hand twisted, cracked, and exploded. Blood once again showered the surrounding area. Protruding from where the demon's knuckles were located were three long blades. Blood dripped off from the ends of the weapons and ran down the length of the metal. The man's eyes were now as golden as Sly's, but they held a more sinister look to them. The immortal smiled evilly before he brought his hand up to his mouth. His tongue flicked out to lick at the blood running down the length of one of the blades.

"Oooh? Your master didn't tell you? Your precious Sebastian Michaelis used to be just like you…a worthless human," the demon stated calmly. Ciel barely had time to blink. The man raised his hand and made a motion as if he were going to backslap Ciel again. Only this time, his claws extended and swept towards the boy. Ciel barely dodged the blades in time. He dove to the side and landed on the ground right as the blades ran over where he had just been standing. The boy hadn't escaped entirely unscathed. Ciel cursed as warm blood ran down from a cut located right above his previously covered eye. The blade had cut right through the string holding the eye patch in place and the skin underneath. The liquid ran into and around his contract eye and made its way down the side of his face. Ciel's eyes widened as the blades actually bended to aim at where he was lying on the ground. Ciel rolled out of the way right before the weapons crashed into the floor. Wood and other debris flew into the air, adding more cuts to Ciel's already battered body. When the dust finally settled, Ciel was pleased to see that Father Gregory's blades were stuck in the floor. Now was his chance.

Ciel quickly shot up from his position on the floor and aimed for the side of the demon's head. His eyes narrowed as his finger pulled back on the trigger. The gunshot rang out in the air and would've been a perfect hit…if the priest hadn't used his other hand that now had identical blades protruding from the knuckles to deflect the bullet. Ciel gasped when the man was suddenly standing in front of him. The demon smiled as his blades retracted themselves to form metal plates over his knuckles in their place.

**CRUNCH!**

Ciel cried out as the demon punched him squarely in the face. Blood spurted from his now broken nose as he flew back to hit the wall. The demon laughed as Ciel slumped into a barely upright position. If he had hit him just a little harder, the boy's skull would've gone flying out the back of his head. Ciel raised his broken wrist up to his nose in an attempt to stop the blood flow. His other hand that was still gripping the gun shakily rose from its position on the floor. Ciel cried out when the demon stomped his hand back onto the ground. The priest continued to abuse the hand with the heel of his shoe until Ciel was forced to release the gun. Jack the Ripper smirked before he kicked the weapon out of Ciel's reach.

Ciel gagged when the man wrapped one of his hands around his throat. Ciel put both of his hands around the man's wrist as he was lifted from the floor. He struggled weakly against the other male's hold as he was pressed back into the wall. The demon cocked his head to the side at the boy's struggles. He used his free hand to rub his chin with thought. Ciel coughed up blood right after the demon proceeded to punch him in his exposed stomach. The "priest" laughed as the boy slumped in his hold. Blood continued to trickle out of the corners of his mouth.

"Aw…don't tell me you're done fighting already…it's no fun if my prey doesn't at least put up a good fight until the end," Jack the Ripper said in a disappointed tone. Ciel raised his head to weakly glare at the other male.

"C-Coward…you, ugh, prey on…people who are…weaker and have nothing…to do with you," Ciel scolded harshly. He gathered up all of his blood and the spit that was in his mouth and spat right into the demon's eye. The priest winced and allowed for the blood-spit mixture to run down his face.

"Nothing to do with me you say?" Ciel gasped as he was suddenly thrown back onto the bed. He instantly formed the fetal position to hold his aching midsection. The room around him was spinning; black spots were beginning to form in his vision. He wasn't sure how much more abuse he could take. "Oh, you and every other whore in this city have plenty to do with me. Every time I hear your pleasured screams late into the night, it disturbs my rest. But last night was the worst. Last night, I could clearly hear your delighted screams and moans all the way from the cathedral. Such scandalous behavior must be crushed," the demon stated angrily before he suddenly brought a fist down right in front of Ciel's face. The boy's eyes widened as the bed split in half. He fell between the crack and hit the unforgiving floor. He weakly attempted to move back into his former position. He cried out in pure pain when Father Gregory slammed his foot down on his exposed stomach. Ciel's cry was cut off by a massive coughing fit as more blood spewed from his lips.

The demon cocked his head to the side at the writhing and panting boy beneath his shoe. "Hmm…you should've been dead from such a kick. Ah, I understand. When you were fucked by your master last night, he must have released in you. Some of his power must be protecting you from being killed by such fatal attacks," Jack the Ripper said with understanding. The priest moved his foot from the boy's midsection and took a step back. Ciel rolled over onto his side to weakly glare at the man. "It looks as if you still have some fight in you," the "holy" man said with a hint of admiration. More blood flew from the boy's mouth as he was roughly kicked in the stomach again before he was kicked in the face.

"Your master clearly hasn't trained you properly. You should know better than to glare at pure blood demons like myself," the man finished proudly. Ciel's body went through several spasms as the last of Sebastian's demon power was used to heal his damaged internal organs. His eyes were squeezed shut as he harshly breathed. He barely heard the man's proud statement. Ciel cracked his eyes open to look up at the triumphantly smiling demon.

"Pure…blood? Heh…you are…nothing, hah, but a peeping Tom. The…only thing **pure** about you…is your hearing," he whispered out mockingly before he smirked. The priest frowned at Ciel before he sighed resignedly.

"I guess you are going to have to learn the hard way. I must get to the **heart** of your sin in order to save you now," the priest finished wickedly before licking his lips. Ciel opened his mouth to shout for help, but his breath was cut short by the demon wrapping one of his hands around his throat. Ciel struggled against the male as he was picked up from the bed and carried over to the wall directly beside the door. "Now now, let's not make this harder than it has to be," the priest said in a soothing tone of voice. Ciel shook his head and gripped onto the man's wrist. The man sighed before he tightened his hold even more. The sounds of Ciel's strangled gasps and cries filled the room; this greatly pleased Jack the Ripper. A glint of metal suddenly appeared in Ciel's peripheral vision.

His eyes widened when the knife was pulled out of the man's robe. An impossibly wide smile split the man's face and literally stretched from ear to ear. Fear swept through Ciel's body; was this really the end?

Jack the Ripper laughed gleefully as he brought the tip of the knife to the base of Ciel's neck. Before the insane demon could make a slicing motion, slitting the boy's throat, Ciel's hands migrated from the killer's wrist to the blade of the weapon. He gripped onto the weapon as tightly as he could with both his broken and his normal hand. The demon's smile twitched as he pushed the tip of the blade closer to the boy's neck. Ciel held onto the blade with a death grip and ignored the pain that shot through his system. The weapon easily sliced through Ciel's skin and warm blood ran down his arms to drip onto the floor.

Ciel refused to give up.

Never had he wanted to live as much as he did at this moment. But he found that his grip was starting to slightly slip. He held onto the knife as if it were his lifeline, causing the murderer to become frustrated. "Let go! Let me…cleanse you!" the man protested angrily. Ciel's vision began to swim due to the lack of oxygen, but he kept his hands locked onto the weapon. The serial killer grunted as he attempted to move the knife out of the boy's hand. The sawing motion cut even deeper into the boy's hands, but he still didn't let go. He knew that if he let go, he was truly done for. Jack the Ripper was really getting frustrated now.

"LET GO LET GO LET GO!" he screamed out. His hands tightened around Ciel's neck, close to crushing his windpipe and completely cutting off his air flow. The man's nails pierced into the boy's skin, adding more pain to his hurting body. Ciel's hands were shaking really badly now; Jack the Ripper began to push the weapon closer to the boy's neck. Ciel felt the tip of the blade pierce his skin. He pushed back against the demon, and he "breathed" a silent sigh of relief as the blade was pushed a few centimeters away from his throat.

Because of the lack of air, Ciel's lips were beginning to turn blue. His vision was focusing in and out; more often he would see black than Jack's face. He desperately clutched onto the weapon and hoped that someone would come to his rescue soon. The knife had now sawed completely through Ciel's hand and was beginning to cut at the muscle beneath it. If Ciel could've, he would've screamed in agony.

It was over. Ciel was out of air, and his hold on the knife was becoming weaker and weaker.

It was a good thing that Jack the Ripper's patience had ran out.

"I SAID, LET GO!" he roared before he released his hold on Ciel's neck and flung the boy off of the knife and into the desk. Ciel hit the wooden furniture hard. The desk cracked and fell onto the boy's oxygen-deprived body. Before Ciel completely blacked out, he weakly looked towards the closed hotel door.

_Sebastian…_

Jack the Ripper watched as the boy's body shuddered before falling still. He stood in his position for a moment and breathed in the smell of fresh blood that filled the room. The killer looked down at his bloodied weapon before his eyes locked onto the unconscious boy. He smirked before he walked over to where Ciel lay. He got down on one knee and easily moved the debris off of Ciel's bruised and battered body. The demon cocked his head to the side before he looked back at his knife. The smirk on his face turned into a manic grin.

"Now…it's no fun when the sinner isn't screaming and crying for mercy. One must suffer for the sins thou commits," the man said in a pleased tone of voice. Slowly, his eyes returned to their mud-brown color. The plates on his knuckles melded back into his skin as his fangs reduced in size. He tucked the blood-covered knife back into the folds of his robe. He looked down at the unconscious Phantomhive with a soft smile. "Don't worry…you will be clean soon," he promised softly before he ran a gentle hand through the boy's hair. He leaned towards the child and slung him over his shoulder. Father Gregory got back onto his feet and firmly held the boy in his position before he glanced back at the door.

A demon-revealing smile spread on his face before he moved to the window. He easily opened the latch and disappeared into the night.

**XXX**

_Sebastian…_

Said demon froze at the weak call of his name. He whirled around on the sidewalk to see if Ciel was calling out for him in person or telepathically. When he didn't spot his pet amongst the evening walkers, he resumed his sprinting pace. He was only a couple of blocks away from the hotel. He grinded his teeth; his nerves were officially on edge. That call of his name only confirmed his suspicions.

Sebastian threw open the door to the hotel. He cursed when he found that the clerk wasn't in his position. That definitely meant that supernatural activity was taking place. The demon ran at an inhuman pace and found himself located outside the door of their hotel room in a matter of seconds. He turned the handle of the door and felt his heart drop to find that it was locked. He took a few steps back and put very little effort into the kick aimed at the door. The barrier fell into the darkened hotel room. Sebastian stepped into the dark and eerily quiet room; the oil lamp instantly flared to life. The demon's eyes widened at the sight of the damaged room.

The bed was cleanly cracked in half, and there were several cracks in three of the walls. The desk was splintered and piled in the corner of the room, completely destroyed. He cursed at the tell-tale slashes on one of the walls and the holes in the floor. Jack the Ripper had definitely been here. Sebastian moved smoothly to the bathroom and peeked in; maybe Ciel was hiding in the tub. When he felt no presence in the room, he softly cursed and moved back into the main part of the room. He sniffed; his nostrils were instantly assaulted with faint incense and freshly-spilled blood. He looked over at the wall next to the door and looked down at the floor to see blood spots littering the floor. He moved over to the area and bent down on one knee. He removed one of his gloves and pressed his bare fingers to one of the spots. He brought his blood-stained fingers up to his nose and inhaled.

He had just missed them. Sebastian clenched his fist as cold fury raced through his veins. He punched the wall beside him, causing a hole to instantly form. If he had only realized Jack the Ripper's plan a few seconds sooner, he would've caught the man. He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth. He allowed for his rage to run through his system. The worst thing he could do now was chase after them when he felt such fury. It could result in him being killed, which would only make things worse for Ciel in the end. He needed to calm down and think of a plan to both rescue his pet and kill Jack the Ripper.

He only had two hours and fifty minutes to do so.

When he felt himself calm down, Sebastian slowly stood up from his position on the floor. Before he made a plan, he needed to know that his pet was even alive. In order to do so, he needed something of Ciel's to tap into. He already knew that the boy wasn't conscious; if he was, he would've felt him in his mind. That either meant that Ciel was unconscious or dead.

Sebastian's eyes scanned the room for their suitcase where Ciel's clothes were packed. But something else caught his eye. He instantly moved to that area of the room and bent down to pick up the item. The demon loosely held Ciel's eye patch in his hand. He wryly smiled at the object before he removed his other glove. He placed the item directly on top of the contract seal on the back of his hand. Sebastian breathed deeply and transferred some of his power into the contract on his hand. The symbol glowed faintly. Sebastian closed his eyes and allowed for his mind to be temporarily taken from him.

He was now traveling quickly over the rooftops of London, heading in the direction of St. Mary's Cathedral. The wind whistled past him as his eyes watered from the cool night air. He rushed over the heads of several Londoners before he glanced over to the side. There: Father Gregory was hopping from rooftop to rooftop with someone slung over his shoulder. Sebastian moved behind the pair to confirm his suspicions. Ciel was currently unconscious and being taken to St. Mary's Cathedral. The man landed in front of the church and quickly moved into the main part of the church.

Sebastian's eyes snapped open as his mind was instantly brought back to him. He released a sigh and stopped the flow of power to his contract seal. Ciel was still alive…for now. He didn't know exactly where in the church the priest was planning to take Ciel, but at least he had a general idea.

The demon removed the eye patch from the back of his hand and slid the gloves back on. He had just mentally grabbed onto the connection between their two contracts and had followed the thread between them until he had found his human pet. Now they were firmly connected; Sebastian could feel the other boy's mental presence in the back of his head.

The immortal looked down at the eye patch in his hand. He looked up at the open window where Jack the Ripper had escaped through moments ago. Sebastian moved over to it and jumped onto the ledge. He crouched in that position for a moment before he turned around to look back at the damaged room. His eyes locked onto the position where Ciel had been standing before he had left earlier in the day. A smirk formed on his face as he closed his hand over the boy's eye patch. The lights in the room flickered out as Sebastian turned around to look back outside. He deeply breathed in the night air.

_Hang on Ciel… I am coming for you._

_

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_

**J-C: Uh-oh...looks like I ended this chapter with a cliffie...kinda...**

**~Sasuke~ *picks self up from floor* Not...really...**

******Naruto: Besides, you are about to introduce another chapter in less than five minutes anyway so you aren't leaving anybody hanging...Sasuke and I will meet you at the beginning of the 12th Chapter *grabs Sasuke and poofs away to a future time***

**J-C: How the heck...? Never mind...anyhoo guys, this is the end of Chapter 11! ^-^ It's not nearly as long as Chapter 10...this one was only 29 pages long. So I hope I didn't blow everybody's mind this time around. But since I will be seeing everybody in only a few minutes (unless you take a break and come back later to read XD), this ending note won't be very long. Besides, I still have to respond to my anonymous reviewers right underneath this note...unless they mind. If they do, I will stop if they choose to review again (which many of you have; thanks so much for doing that! ^-^). So I will just say a quick thank you to everybody for reading the 11th Chapter of One Hell of a Master! It means a lot to me that so many of you are dedicated to what I write...words cannot even describe how I feel at this moment (or when I receive reviews, hint hint, XD). Sooooo... THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME FEEL SO HAPPY AND LOVED! Please review either this chapter or Chapter 12...or maybe both? I really want to know everybody's thoughts for these next two chapters! Thank you for the reviews I've already received!**

**Ja ne for now! ^-^**

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missjasmin: **Yep! After a long 10 chapter wait, Sebby finally got to have his pet! ^-^ Lolz, I think it was the worth the wait though...it gave my confidence time to grow (and for my inner pervert to come up with even more perverted ideas). I'm glad that you have such a positive outlook for my story; I will do my best not to disappoint with the next few updates! Lolz, oh my goodness, really? That's epically funny! I'm glad that an update can make you react like that! Thankies for reviewing again! ^0^**

Kuro Neko-chan: **Teehee, I see someone finally came prepared! Lolz, I was just kidding when I said I was going to delete the last chapter...I think I would be asking to be executed by my readers if I did such a thing... *nervous laughter*. Awww, I'm sorry that you might have trouble going to sleep now...but congrats on having the correct equation! ^-^ Lolz, really? My friends do that too! It's annoying, painful, yet oddly hilarious at the same time...probably why Sebastian decided to use that excuse on Ciel. ;) I totally had a meltdown when I had to write the whole naked Sebastian part...it took a while for me to actually write it instead of just fantasizing about it. Teehee, Ciel isn't going to take that type of harassment from anybody...and neither is Sebastian, lolz! Well, if you think about it, if you had an ultra smexxi demon humping on you, it would be quite hard to think of any sort of excuse (even though I highly doubt any of us Sebby fangirls would want to ;D). Lolz, I understand what you're trying to say...nice is a good word to use. I'm glad that you liked that scene so much, and it's a relief to hear that I was able to clearly show Ciel's feelings. Ahaha, that mental image really makes me laugh! But I'm glad you liked the little twist I threw into the lemon; I'm happy to hear that you liked the lemon so much! ^0^ As for your question, the answer is yes. His memories are going to start coming back to him...some might be good, but the majority are probably gonna be bad *sniffles at the thought*. Shhh...we just won't tell her our private thoughts about who she's suited for...and congrats on winning that bet! OH MY GOODNESS JOHNNY DEPP! Sorry...I'm a big fan of him...I'm totally gonna watch that movie now (as soon as I finish responding and stuff XD). *gives thumbs up sign* Sebastian the sex is totally gonna be trademarked! ^0^ Hmm...the way things are going in the 2nd season, it would take a lot to disappoint me now! *squeals* Awwww, I'm so glad that I was able to put a smile on your face. *huggles* You put one on mine by leaving a review for my story! Thank you for doing that again! ^0^**

andrea: ***pauses* I love you too! Lolz *gives hug*. You are so kind...saying such nice things about me...I'm all smiley now! ^-^ I'm glad that you liked my lemon so much; I put a lot of effort into it. It's a huge relief to hear that I haven't bored you yet! I will continue to work hard to prevent you from ever being bored! ^0^ *wipes brow* Thank you for your patience; it is much appreciated! I will try to update on time for a change...hopefully. *punches air* I finally got the pervertedness right, lolz! Anyhoo, I just wanted to say thankies for leaving another review for my story. So thankies! ^-^**

Ailea Creed: **Whoa...a two in one review, lolz! I'm glad that I could throw you off; yeah, I was originally just going to have the priest kinda be a background character guy that controlled the actions of Jack the Ripper (aka Madam Red and Grell), but then I just decided to make him Jack the Ripper because I wanted it to be original! I'm glad you liked where I decided to take this arc! ^0^ Ugh...I feel exactly the same way after rereading that part...but I guess that means my describing skills are getting much better! Teehee, glad that you liked my first attempt at a lemon so much! ) I didn't want it to be all smut, hence the sweet parts with the picture and stuff... Wow, I didn't think people would actually tear up at that part...glad I could induce such a reaction from you! Of course, Sebastian is one hell of a lover *smirks*. That will become much clearer as this story continues. I'm glad you're so excited for the next chapter; I will do my best to update when I can. Thank you for your review; it's much appreciated as always! ^0^**

xxrandomxx: **Nope, you spelled that right! ^-^ Lolz, sorry for such a long wait, but I felt that if I dragged it out, people would be more appreciative when the lemon finally took place. Sorry that it took such a long time...but I'm glad that you enjoyed the other chapters and events that happened along the way. ^-^ And you are soooo not useless when reviewing; I completely understand your point. Plus, I wholeheartedly appreciate your thoughts (as well as this review XD)! I'm glad that you had fun reading the chapter! TTFN (tata for now!). ^0^**

Zozo-Chan: ***nervous laughter* I apologize profusely...I never intended for the 10th chapter to be so long...I kinda cringed when I saw the word and page count for it. If it's any consolation, I definitely won't be writing a chapter of that length for quite some time, I swear. ^-^ But I'm glad that you still thought that it was a great chapter and all...sorry for taking so much time out of your day. But thankies for reviewing again! I appreciate it! ^0^**

LOLWUT: **I won't; lolz, I was just kidding (not really)...but now that I know so many people liked the way the lemon went, the 10th chapter is here to stay! *throws festive confetti in the air* I'm glad that you liked my first attempt at a lemon; it made the long hours of brainstorming totally worth it (seriously, I think I started brainstorming for this lemon at the end of the 2nd chapter)! ^-^ Well, I wanted to make it realistic; there's no way that having sex for the first time CAN'T be painful...especially if you're a guy. And yes, you are correct; Ciel did get raped...quite frequently as you shall soon find out *cringes*. Aw, really? Yay! I'm so happy to hear that; I will do my best not to lower your expectations for this story! And with the way things are going, this story is definitely not going to end soon, so I'm glad that you're all for a long and bumpy ride. ^-^ *squeals and huggles* I'm so happy that I could make you happy based off of something that I wrote. I will do my best to update when I can... oooh, sweets! *takes sweets* Thankies for those...and for another review! ^0^**

hitomi-chanchan: ***cheers as well* Lolz, yes! Ciel is definitely not the type just to sit back and let Sebastian take total control. ;) Teehee, I think I would be okay as long as he never came onto me...which if he did, I would be a puddle of goo in under 5 milliseconds...lolz! But yay! I'm glad that I was able to keep both of them IC! ^-^ It's not as hard as it used to be since I'm used to writing them in their respective roles now, but it was fairly difficult in the beginning, so thanks for appreciating my effort! ^0^ Teehee, thankies for all your compliments and for this very sweet and kind review!**

none: ***wipes brow* Glad to hear that you thought so! It's a huge relief to hear that you thought the lemon and all was worth the wait. ^-^ I'm working on detailing situations and stuff more, so it's good to hear that I'm heading in the right direction. I'm glad that you liked the 10th chapter enough to leave a review! Thank you for doing so! ^-^**

Miko: **Really? I LOVE YOU TOO MIKO! *glomps* I'm so happy to hear that you have fallen in love with my story...again, lolz! ^-^ Whoa...that's quite a compliment (and an accomplishment: both you and I have read every lemon involving this pairing *smirks and gives a high five*). I'm glad that my long hours of brainstorming worked out so beautifully in the end! Yay! I'm glad that you like my chapter lengths and quick updates...but the next few won't be nearly as long as Chapter 10 was...and I will attempt to get back on track when it comes to updating! ^-^ Teehee, glad to hear you liked how I set up the overall chapter as well...I likey fluff too...as long as it's not the corny type that makes me want to gag. *snaps fingers* Ah no, that was cause I used spellchecker on this site and it spaced all the words weirdly...I got kinda lazy and didn't go through the entire chapter. ^-^' Sorry about that; I edited it now so everything is spaced nice and correctly! ^-^ Although, I did find when I was typing the smex scene that I was having trouble spelling, using proper grammar, and the like...so the heat did get to my head at some point, lolz! OMG, that's epically hilarious! But it's koolio that you studied the bacteria behind Sly's name...we didn't do that in my bio class *pouts*. Anyhoo, I wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment...school can be such a hindrance sometimes...but I will still do my best to update whenever I can! I will continue to work as hard as possible to keep entertaining you and all my other readers; thanks for reviewing again with such a long review (I'm off to write...make amvs...and socialize with buddies so my parents don't think I'm becoming anti-social XD).**

hannah: **Yay! I'm really happy to hear that I could make you happy with this chapter! Thank you for sharing your feelings with me in this review! ^0^**

lilly: **Oh my goodness! HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY LILLY! I'm really glad to hear that my update was a perfect present for you! ^0^ Glad that I could surprise you yet again; it's one of my scarce talents. Ugh, you have no idea...there were some times when I was like, "Ew, that just sounds nasty...DELETE!" and then there were other times when I was like, "Is that even possible? Hmm...DENIED!". Lolz, so I'm glad to hear that you thought I was able to do a wonderful job for my first time. Thank you for realizing and appreciate the amount of time and effort I put into getting this lemon to turn out the way it did. ^-^ I will do my best not to disappoint in the next chappie, I promise! Thank you for reviewing, and again, Happy Belated Birthday! I hope it was epically awesome (just like you)! ^-^**

SebaCieLuver: ***gasps* I love you too hun! *huggles* I'm glad you feel that the lemon was worth waiting for; that was totally the way I wanted my readers to feel when they finally read the lemon. I feel that if you drag something out, it's worth the wait and much more appreciated in the end. *bows* Thanks so much for saying that; although, it is a tad harder for me to write lemon scenes than it is for me to write gore...I guess I just need to practice it more. ^-^ Thank you for your congratulations as well! *sniffles at the memory* I was listening to some really lovey dovey music at that part, and I couldn't resist adding it in. I find I like reading sweet, caring sex rather than animalistic, lust-filled sex (although I don't mind switching it up every now and then XD). Hooray for liking all parts of this chapter! ^0^ *grabs for tissues* Here you go dearie...I don't want you to die on me! ^-^ And no problem; as long as I can find someway to communicate with my readers, it's all good! And it's great to have a friend(?) to rant to about Kuroshitsuji 2. Agh, the opening! I love those parts too...and Sebastian's face! *squeals* I love all the new facial expressions he's showing this season! And have no fear, Alois is back in Episode 5! *dances happily* You definitely won't be disappointed if you haven't watched it yet. ;D Alois is totally my 2nd favorite character of all time now (sorry Ciel *pushes to third*). He's just so...deliciously sadistic, and yet he has such an angelic and cute face! I swear, he's bringing out my sadistic side *lolz at the memory in Episode 5*. As for teams...I'm still undecided. I've made groups on other sites pitting the teams against each other, so I'm technically supposed to stay neutral (for now). Awww...the ending song...it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside *dashes to find a place to download it*. Anyhoo, I'M going to end my ridiculously long rant/response with a big thank you and another hug! I totally don't mind you ranting; Kuroshitsuji 1 and 2 have and always will be my obsession! Thanks again for reviewing and ranting with/to me! ^0^**

rakkun: ***squeals* Thank you so much! Even though lots of people have said I'm awesome, I always feel happy hearing it...so seriously, thank you for saying such a nice thing! I'm glad you like the little history tidbits I slip in...I'm a huge history fanatic so it's great to hear that you appreciate the things I slip in to make the story more realistic. ^-^ *sniffles* You are too kind; your compliments on my descriptive writing style (which I'm still trying to improve so my teachers can like it too) and saying that it's such a well-written story make me all warm and fuzzy inside. *smirks* Dear, smut is ALWAYS a perk, lolz *enters perverted mode*. Sorry about that; anyhoo, I just wanted to say thank you for leaving such a kind review for me! *huggles***

melianstorm: **Awww...that's totally koolio! The fact that you are choosing to review now is greatly appreciated...especially since you're doing so in another language! ^-^ Wow, but that is some serious dedication...my chapters are really long...and to think that you actually wait for more is mind-boggling (and makes me very happy ^0^). Yes, characterization is a word...but really? You are so kind! To hear that you think such wonderful things about my writing style makes me happy beyond words. And to hear that my writing has a special element to it... *dies of happiness* I am greatly humbled by your words...I will continue to work on gaining even more knowledge and improving my style so that you and my other readers can truly be proud! ^-^ Oh my goodness, a ghost! Lolz, ah well, you are a friendly ghost...although I do apologize for killing you...*hands tissue* It may be a little late, but here you go! ^-^ Oooh, so you like kinky stuff... *smirks* I just might use whips...eventually *smirk turns into sadistic grin*. *rereads review* Really...trust me, your English is AMAZING. It's clear, concise, and there are hardly any grammatical or spelling errors. I appreciate the length of your review and the amount of effort you put into leaving it in my native language so that I can understand your thoughts. Thank you so much for this review and for any reviews you choose to leave in the future! Thanks for the well wishes as well! ^0^**

s e r a f i n a: **REALLY? *squeals and glomps* I love you toooooooo! ^0^ Oh my goodness gracious me, really? That's an amazing compliment! Thank you for saying that; it gives me great confidence for my next lemon! ;) *wipes brow* That's a relief...I'm glad to hear that I still managed to keep him IC while showing his submissive side as well. Lolz, I'm sure Sebastian appreciates those kudos...he's a happy little demon at the moment. ^-^ Oooh, a song recommendation! I'll totally listen to it right now while I respond to the rest of the reviews for Chapter 10. Thanks for that (update: HOLY CRAP! I love it! This song is beautiful, and it helps for me to imagine some more scenes for the rest of this story...it's like I'm making an amv in my head, so thanks so much for this song)! I'm glad to hear that it could help to better set the mood for those parts of the chapter. Holy jizznit! I can't wait to see what you can come up with! I will be waiting patiently for notifications on your progress. ^-^ Ahaha, I didn't get that Twilight reference until I watched Eclipse...teehee, I'm Switzerland too! I love Alois, and I love Sebastian, so you can clearly see my dilemma there. ^-^' Ugh...Episode 2...Elizabeth *shudders*...nuff said on that. The rest of the episodes after that are really good though! ^0^ I'm really happy to hear that I was able to make you draw more for this fandom. It needs more art and stuff, so I can't wait to see what you cook up! ^-^ *shields from knives with Sebby plushie* When I finish this one, I actually do have a ClaudexAlois fic ready to be written down. So look forward to that! ^0^ KUDOS TO YOU FOR LEAVING SUCH A KIND AND AWESOME REVIEW/SONG RECOMMENDATION! I really, truly, appreciate it! ^0^**

The Quiet Companion: **Whew! Well, that's great to know! Wow, that's really koolio! I've always wanted to do a roleplaying thingie...I'm glad that my lemon could somehow relate to something you did! I don't have full experience either...not even close actually (I haven't even been kissed yet...ah well, I'm waiting for my Sebby, lolz! XD). But I'm glad that you thought the passion and stuff was realistic. That's one of my goals when I write: to entertain and to be realistic (even though demons and stuff is quite...well, unrealistic, teehee *killed by Sebby fangirls*). It's really nice to hear that you were able to empathize with the characters in this story...that's probably the main reason why I love Kuroshitsuji so much...I really can empathize with the characters (especially Ciel *sniffles*). I will continue to do my best to keep that key element in my story. Thanks for the compliments, well wishes, and this review! All of them are very much appreciated by me! ^0^**

Shirogane-san: **Oh my goodness, you poor thing. That doesn't sound like a fun vacation to me...I would DIE if I couldn't get my daily dose of Kuroshitsuji *shudders at the thought*. But I'm glad that you still had fun on your vacation and that you like my story so much that it actually caused you distress not to be able to read it right when I updated *huggles*. Lolz, that's funny! I guess you're just gonna have to reread my whole story! Just kidding; I'm glad that you liked the 10th chapter so much though! And don't feel bad, I'm a nerd too (I even go to a special school for nerds like me, and I'm STILL the biggest nerd out of my whole class! XD). As for Kuroshitsuji 2's second episode...I think that the contract has been fulfilled but then it's been like revoked or something...as for all the Lizzy moments and even the hint of CielxLizzy...I have no age-appropriate comment for that...just ARGH! Lolz, but you're right! We got to see Sebby in action and the long-awaited SebaCiel interactions we've come to love and look out for! ;) You know what's odd? I'm finding that I've actually fallen in love with Alois's character...he kinda reminds me of myself (minus the whole poking people's eyes out thing... O.o). Claude...eh... I guess he's the perfect balance for Alois, so he's somewhat necessary. Lolz, I totally don't mind your long review! It's very much appreciated! ^-^ I will update as soon as I am able... *gives thumbs up sign* HECK YEAH, Kuroshitsuji rocks my socks! ^-^**

sakura: ***smirks* Considering how things went down when he drew this portrait, I'm sure Sebastian is thinking the exact same thing. ;) *hands tissue* Here you go...I'm glad I could make you react that way though! It's a huge relief to hear that you enjoyed what you read; it makes all my hard work totally worth it! ^0^ Ehehe, I will try to update as quickly as I can; sorry for making you wait so long already, but I'm glad to hear that you are so excited about this story that you want a really quick update. Thank you for your review! ^0^**

onihime666: **Well, thank you for asking so nicely! I will do my best to grant your request as soon as I am able! ^-^ Thank you for leaving such a polite review! ^-^**

anori: ***bows* I am greatly humbled by your words. ^-^ I'm glad that you think my story contains all the elements of a great story...I try really hard to keep everybody IC so thank you for recognizing and appreciating my effort! ^0^ Teehee, I enjoy writing the interactions as much as you enjoy reading them! Because of them, I've learned that I am quite a witty person, which I never thought I was before I started writing this story. And thank you for saying that; I've been told that I write really maturely for my age...which is a direct contradiction to my personality. XD I'm glad that I could give you pleasure based on how I write. I will continue to work my hardest to give you a wonderful reading experience every time! ^-^ I will do my best to update as soon as possible; thanks for the review and all of the compliments! ^-^**

wishingbell: **Thanks so much! I'm glad that you think I did such a splendid job! It makes me happy to see you so excited for the next chapter as well! I will do my best to update as soon as I can! Thank you for leaving a review! ^-^**

Assasin of Secrecy: **Of course I was! I can't update until I hear something from you chica, lolz! XD *pales at the thought* I never thought about it that way...*quickly updates* Please don't kill me readers who love me too... (you're right, that is quite ironic...lolz ^-^). Oh dear *pats head* I apologize for mentally scarring you for life...I'm just a detailed writer so when it comes to lemons...yeah...sorry 'bout that. Cookie? *hands e-cookie* XD But I'm glad that you still liked the lemon! At least now you're better prepared for the other lemons I have in store for later chapters! ;) I will continue to work hard so don't give up on me yet, lolz! Thanks for reviewing again and getting my lazy butt to actually update before I was murdered in my sleep... ^-^'**


	12. The Hunter

**J-C: Hello all! I'm back! *gets beaned in the head by a stuffed animal* What the crap?**

**~Sasuke~ You left me alone with this pervert for over 2 hours! What the heck were you doing?**

**J-C: Responding to anonymous reviewers and rewatching the latest episode of Kuroshitsuji 2...wait, where's Naruto?**

**~Sasuke~ That's unimportant... *tucks gag and ropes under the carpet***

**J-C: O.o**

**~Sasuke~ Just hurry up and introduce the next chapter!**

**J-C: YES SASUKE! Whew...he's scary when he gets mad. Yet, not as scary (and cute) as Alois! *huggles an Alois plushie that doesn't even exist yet but that she really wants* Welp, since there haven't been any reviews for Chapter 11 yet, I can't say my thanks for that...so I'll just say thank you for reading Chapter 11 and heading straight on over to Chapter 12, lolz! ^0^ I might as well make this Author Note quite short in celebration of updating quickly (two updates in a day, oh yeah!). So lets say hello to our by now close friends, Disclaimer and Warnings!**

******Disclaimer: You have NO idea how much I want to own Kuroshitsuji at the moment...hello! Sebastian and Claude are gonna get wet in the next episode! *dies at the thought, therefore forfeiting the chance for ownership***

******Warnings: Welp, we've gots language, violence (more than in Chapter 11, so have your barf bags ready people...but still not AS bad as Chapter 9 I think...), sexual situations/themes, sexual assault (*sniffles* WHY? Oh...because I wrote it... XD), BOY x BOY love (I think I might stop warning that now...), and...yep, that's about it for this chapter! ^-^**

**J-C: Even though you guys have just read Chapter 11, it never hurts to refresh your memories. Sooooo...thoughts look like this (**_I loved Episode 5 of Kuroshitsuji 2!_**), regular dialogue and stuff looks like this (**Sebastian AND Claude are gonna get wet in the 6th episode!**), emphasized words look like this (SEXUAL ASSAULT, OH NOES!) or like this (_The arc is almost over!_), Sound FX look like this (SPLASH!), (XXX) stands for scene/time changes, and anything with a number behind it means that it has some extra info about it at the end of this chapter (ex. Bishounen** (2)**). Now that everybody's memory has been refreshed, get ready for Chapter 12! Enjoy! ^0^**

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**Chapter 12: The Hunter**

_Wh-What happened? Where…am I? Am I…dead?_

Ciel's head lolled to the side as he slowly regained consciousness. He slightly opened his eyes to find that everything was transitioning between blurry and clear. He shut his eyes when his head began to spin. Everything was gradually coming back to him. He had been waiting in the hotel room for Sebastian to come back…Father Gregory had visited him and went into Jack the Ripper Mode…they had been fighting when…

Ciel's eyes shot open as he sharply took a breath. He blinked owlishly to find that he was in a dark room. His natural eye slowly began to adjust to the absence of light. He could make out the outlines of shapes that he guessed were furniture. He painfully turned his head to see a barred window located almost near the ceiling. Ciel groaned as his bodily pains finally registered in his mind. He had taken quite a beating from the psycho demon; he was amazed that he was still alive. The boy moved to sit up but was jerked to a stop by a restraint of some sort. A confused expression flitted across the blue-eyed boy's face. He looked up and gasped; his hands were tied with pieces of cloth to the corners of the headboard of the bed. Ciel looked back down at his feet and was relieved to find that his feet weren't tied down.

He began to wiggle against the constraints until a sharp pain originating from his broken wrist shot through his system. Ciel winced but continued to struggle against his bonds. The clank of the metal bars that he was tied to filled the once silent room. Regardless, Ciel's struggles only increased. He moved to bite his lip to stop himself from crying out and alerting the priest's attention. Instead of biting flesh, Ciel bit a sour tasting material. Ciel's eyes widened as he bit down on the cloth gag tied around his mouth. He stopped moving for a moment and allowed for his situation and the surroundings to sink in.

_Why am I tied to a bed with a gag over my mouth? More importantly, where the heck am I? From the looks of the several pictures of the Virgin Mary and the faint scent of incense, I must be back at the church. But I don't understand…why would Father Gregory bring me here? Furthermore, where is he anyway? If I can't get out of here before he comes back…_

"Ah, you are finally awake. I swear, I wonder why Halfies like Sebastian bother to make contracts with such weak creatures," a lilting voice commented. Candles perched in holders on the walls suddenly filled the room with light. Ciel winced before his eyes quickly adjusted. He turned his head to see Father Gregory leaning nonchalantly against the doorframe. Ciel's eyes narrowed at the relaxing demon. The priest frowned disapprovingly before he began moving towards the bed.

"Now now, what is with that look? You should be happy to see me; I am about to cleanse you of your sins," the priest stated. Ciel's glare intensified as the man reached out a hand to gently stroke his cheek. The butler whipped his head to the side, but the demon harshly grabbed his chin and forced the boy to look at him. A thought seemed to pop into Father Gregory's head; he smiled gently at the angered child. "Perhaps I should remove this gag from your mouth…I only tied it there as a precaution in case any members of the congregation were to appear. Of course, they could not hear us anyway…no matter how loudly you scream," the man added darkly. Ciel resisted the urge to shudder at the look in the other male's eyes.

The priest moved to remove the gag from Ciel's mouth. Angry red lines were present where the gag had been tightly tied. Ciel spat out the bitter taste in his mouth from the gag before he glared at the smirking demon. "Where the hell am I?" he asked harshly. The demon chuckled before running a hand through the boy's hair.

"At St. Mary's Cathedral of course. We are currently located underneath the main part of the church; these are my old sleeping quarters," the priest explained.

"Release me at once," Ciel demanded. The demon's smirk widened before he harshly gripped Ciel's hair. The butler winced at the harsh treatment but refused to cry out.

"Demanding aren't we? That type of arrogance coming from a whore like you is neither appreciated nor appropriate," the demon reprimanded. He twisted the strands of hair in his hand; Ciel squeezed his eyes shut and clamped his lips shut. The boy knew that this man received great pleasure from causing others pain. He refused to give the man **any** sort of pleasure.

When Ciel didn't cry out, the demon huffed with disappointment and released his hold on the boy's hair. Ciel's scalp smarted from the rough treatment. "For the last time you third-rate demon, I am **not** a whore," Ciel shot back furiously. The demon wagged a teasing finger in front of the boy's face; Ciel was quite tempted to bite it hard enough to draw blood.

"Manners boy…you are talking to a pureblood demon. That type of talk is suited for your pathetic Halfie master only," the possessed man warned. Ciel smirked at the mention of his master.

"Well, since it seems that you think Halfies are lower than yourself, than either Sebastian is an extraordinary Halfie, or you are a pathetic pureblood," Ciel commented mockingly. The dark-haired boy bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood to prevent himself from making any noise as he was harshly slapped across the face. Father Gregory growled at the young Phantomhive. Ciel gagged when the man suddenly shoved two of his fingers in his mouth. The boy's eyes widened as his tongue was gripped and pulled past his lips. The demon pinched the sensitive muscle, causing the boy to squirm and squeeze his eyes shut in pain. The priest pulled on Ciel's tongue a tad harder, causing new shockwaves of pain to course through the boy's system.

"You have quite a mouth on you, don't you boy? Now you listen and you listen well; if you continue to talk disrespectfully to me, I will rip this bloody tongue right out of your mouth," Father Gregory said harshly before he released the muscle. Ciel's head snapped back causing his whole body to fall back onto the bed. The boy swallowed unsteadily as cold fear began to course through his body.

_What exactly is this man going to do to me? What is up with this whole Halfie and pureblood thing? And where is Sebastian?_

The sound of rustling clothing jerked Ciel out of his buzzing mental process. "Now, what do you say that we begin cleansing you of your sins?" Father Gregory said in a giddy tone of voice. Ciel's eyes widened in fear as the man slipped himself out of his brown robe. He instantly knew what the man was going to do with him. He began to struggle against the bonds on his wrist, doing his best to ignore the burning pain from his wrist. The demon watched with amusement as his prey struggled in vain. "That's more like it; struggle like the weak and pathetic being you truly are," the priest said. Ciel's heart lurched when the man perched himself over his struggling body.

He shuddered as the man ran the back of his hand against his cheek. "I must give that piece of shit some credit…you are really something…" the demon murmured. Ciel gasped as the male proceeded to latch onto the side of his neck. The boy whipped his head in an attempt to throw the man off of him as his hands twisted and jerked in their bonds.

"St-Stop it!" he cried out. Ciel gritted his teeth when the demon twisted his head to the side and forced his head to remain in place with his hand. The boy trembled with fear and disgust as the man continued to suckle on his skin. His eyes popped open when Father Gregory bit at the flesh. Warm blood ran from the punctured area; the demon grinned before he began licking at the salty fluid. Ciel's heart was pounding; was he really about to be raped by this man?

The priest pulled back to examine his handiwork and grinned proudly. A dark red, almost black bruise was forming underneath the still bleeding wound. "I would like to see Sebastian do **that**…," the man commented snidely. His glowing golden eyes trained onto the red-faced boy that was glaring at him with a mix of anger and terror. He smirked before leaning down to whisper in the boy's ear.

"Don't worry baby…you'll die feeling nothing but pleasure," the evil being whispered maliciously. Ciel's eyes widened; his struggles increased as the man moved back and began to unbutton the buttons on his vest.

"NO! Let me go…I don't want this! Y-You bastard…release me at once!" he ordered in a shaking voice. Father Gregory smirked before he used his sharper than normal nails to tear the material of both the vest and the shirt to pieces. Ciel watched with horror as his tattered clothes were removed, revealing his upper half to the male's hungry eyes. Ciel continued to pull on the constraints. He felt a surge of hope fill his heart when he was able to slide his hand a little through the cloth. The demon smiled evilly before he began to kiss along the boy's chest. Ciel shuddered with revulsion. Father Gregory took it as a good sign and moved from the boy's chest to be face to face with the boy. He tilted the boy's red-tinged face up and smirked.

"Oh baby, we are going to have lots of fun together," he murmured huskily. Ciel's eyes widened as he continued to slide his hands out of the bonds. The man moved to kiss the boy on the lips but Ciel turned his head at the last minute. Father Gregory growled at the boy's disobedience; he proceeded to slap the boy, making sure to rake his nails on the flawless skin. Blood dripped from the scratches on Ciel's face. "Don't make this harder than it has to be…" he warned before he began to kiss down the boy's belly.

"I-I, nnn! I don't…ugh…want t-to...ah…with y-you!" he protested desperately. The demon smirked against the boy's belly button before he harshly grabbed Ciel's crotch. Ciel screamed as the man roughly rubbed him through the material. The temperature in the room increased drastically as the boy did his best to fight against the man. He kicked his unbound legs at the other male; his hands were now halfway free. He just needed a little more time…

The man grabbed the boy's kicking limbs as he reached to unzip Ciel's pants. The younger male tried to close his legs to halt the man's progress. The demon sighed and looked at the trembling boy. "Why do you continue to fight your true nature? As long as you can be fucked, you will be pleased. I can see it in your eyes; you subconsciously know the truth about yourself. But if it will make you feel better…imagine that I am Sebastian," the "holy" man instructed. No sooner did the other male say Sebastian's name, Ciel slipped out of his bonds. Pure shock formed on Father Gregory's face when the boy shot up from his position. With his good hand, Ciel delivered a punishing punch to the middle of the demon's face. Blood spurted from the man's now broken nose; the demon howled and held his injured nose. Ciel took the opportunity and kneed the man in his exposed crotch. The priest keened in pain.

"An unworthy creature such as you should never compare yourself to my master," Ciel spat hatefully.

Ciel pushed the man off of him and rolled off of the bed. He hit the stone floor and quickly picked himself up. The boy raced to the open entrance and dashed up the winding stone staircase. His breath came out in panicked gasps as he sprinted up the stairs. He looked behind him and felt his heart jump when there was no sign of the rapist. Hope and adrenaline pumped through his veins as he continued to run up the stairs. If he could get out of this part of the church, he had a higher chance of actually escaping alive. Blood pounded in his ears; his eyes darted around wildly.

Suddenly, a sharp pain from his lower back caused Ciel to gasp and lose his balance. He fell onto the stairs with a cry. A dark chuckling filled the air, causing the air's temperature to drop drastically. Ciel shakily picked himself up and turned around. His eyes widened in panic and fear as the bleeding demon walked calmly up the stairs. His eyes were eerily glowing and blood was dripping from his fangs. His mouth was stretched impossibly wide in a joy-filled smile. Directly behind him was nothing but darkness. Ciel whipped his head around and prepared himself to dash up the stairs, but a hand gripping his hair stopped him. Ciel opened his mouth and screamed as he thrashed in the other male's hold. The demon wrapped his arm around the boy's waist and picked the child up off the ground.

The boy blindly kicked and punched behind him as he was dragged back into the room. "Heh, you really thought you could escape me? There is no escape, so stop fighting me," the demon said evilly. Panic and fear flooded the boy's senses, clouding out all reasonable thoughts and ideas.

"NO! Help! HELP ME! Someone…PLEASE! LET ME GO! Let go…AAAAAH! Please…don't do this! PLEASE! SOMEONE SAVE ME!" Ciel screamed. The demon laughed insanely as he walked through the doorway. Ciel reached his hands out and gripped onto the edges of the door. Father Gregory clicked his teeth and pulled harder on the boy. Ciel shrieked but refused to let go. He knew if he was taken back into that room, there really was no hope. He pleaded with the man; screams and whimpers fell from his lips like water. His cries only turned on the man pulling on him. Ciel felt his hands slipping from their position.

"STOP! D-Damn it…SOMEONE! RESCUE ME!" Ciel called out desperately. He didn't care that his throat was raw and aching; if at least someone heard him, he might have a chance. An image of a raven-haired man popped into his mind just as his hands slipped.

"SEBASTIAN!"

Jack the Ripper growled at the mention of the other demon's name before he tossed the boy back onto the bed. The sound of the wooden door swinging close was the sound of death. Ciel shook with fear as he curled up on the bed. This had to be a nightmare of some sort; this couldn't really be happening. His mind raced as he desperately tried to think of some way to escape his fate; there was no way he was going down without a fight.

"Come now my child, it is time to atone for your sins," a dark voice murmured in Ciel's ear. The boy moved to punch the man but his hand was grabbed and thrown back onto the bed. Ciel was able to get a few scratches on the priest's face with his other hand, even though his wrist was broken. Jack the Ripper smirked before suddenly flipping the boy over. He grabbed onto the boy's already injured arm and jerked.

**CRACK!**

Ciel screamed in pain and agony as the man broke one of his arms. Panting, the priest bent to whisper in Ciel's ear. "That's right…let me hear your voice," the man ordered. Ciel buried his face in the mattress as the man began to nip and kiss his bare back. He felt a tug on his pants and struggled, even though his mind was hazed over with pain. The garments were easily removed from his body, along with his underwear. The boy was now completely exposed to the killer.

"I-I'm not…done…hah, hah…not yet," Ciel gasped out. A cruel laugh filled the room before Ciel was flipped onto his back. He glared at the golden-eyed male before he spat in the man's eye. As expected, a punch was delivered to Ciel's mouth. Bleeding from the mouth, Ciel continued to struggle against the priest. "A-And…you can r-rape, hah, hah, ugh…me, beat m-me, and mutilate m-my body to get my, hah, heart…but…hah…I won't give you th-the pleasure of h-h-hearing my voice," Ciel whispered hatefully. The demon blinked at the boy's strength and defiance. His eyes flashed before a challenging smirk spread on his face.

"Oooh? Do you think that you can keep that promise?" Jack the Ripper asked mockingly. Ciel's glare intensified. He could feel bile rise in his throat as the man lifted his hand. He watched, hypnotized, as the man's hand twisted and cracked into impossible shapes before blades ripped through the skin. Blood showered Ciel's body, causing him to feel even sicker. True to his word, he remained silent. The serial killer grinned insanely before he brought the tip of the blades to the top right of Ciel's shoulder. "I think it's time we got to the heart of your sin, don't you?" he asked kindly. The boy winced as the tips of the weapons easily ripped through his flesh and muscle. He bit his lip to stop himself from screaming in pain and agony. Jack the Ripper laughed gleefully as he pressed down.

**CRUNCH!**

A pained gasp slipped through his lips as his shoulder bones cracked under the pressure. A mad glint developed in the man's eyes. Pain raced through his nerves, invaded his consciousness, and blocked out every other emotion. Ciel couldn't take it. Jack the Ripper began to make a downward slicing motion. Ciel squeezed his eyes shut and opened his mouth to scream.

**BAM!**

The loss of pressure on his shoulder shocked the boy. Ciel painfully opened his eyes and gasped. Jack the Ripper was still perched over his prone body; only, he was bleeding from the side of his head. The man's eyes were rolled back in his head, revealing the whites, as his tongue lolled out from his lips. Ciel resisted the urge to scream as the man fell off of him and crumpled to the floor. The boy blinked, shocked by the change of events.

_Jack has been shot in the head? By who?_

"Honestly, when will purebloods learn not to mess with other's pets?" Sebastian asked in a disappointed tone of voice. The demon tucked the still smoking gun in his back pocket. Ciel's head whipped in the direction of the now open door. His heart leaped when his eyes locked with Sebastian's, and he almost cried with joy at the sight of his master. Of course, Ciel wasn't a big fan of showing such emotions.

"What took you so long? Were you too busy fooling around?" he asked angrily. Sebastian chuckled at his pet's scolding before quickly making his way over to the bed.

"My apologies…I had a few…situations to deal with before I could get here," Sebastian said politely. Ciel growled at the other man, causing Sebastian to smirk. He took in the appearance of Ciel; he was bleeding from several areas and covered in cuts, blood, and bruises. His right shoulder was completely destroyed. He had a broken nose, wrist, and arm, and it looked as if he had experienced some minor head trauma.

_This will make escape quite difficult._

Sebastian quickly unbuttoned his overcoat and wrapped it around Ciel's battered body. Ciel gasped with surprise and pain as he was scooped into his master's arms. "M-Master…what are you doin-"

"We must get out of here as quickly as possible. That shot will only temporarily stun him because it came from a human's gun…I need to get my other tools," Sebastian said hastily as he moved towards the door.

"W-Wait! There is no way I'm going out into public with only your coat over me! I'm naked!" Ciel protested. Sebastian looked at his partner before he sighed resignedly. He set the boy down and disappeared for a few seconds. Ciel blinked when the demon appeared in front of him with his mended shirt and vest, underwear, and pants. "H-How did you-?"

"It is not too difficult for me to repair such things…now, dress as quickly as possible," Sebastian ordered. Ciel nodded and struggled painfully into his clothing. It didn't occur to him until after he had buttoned the final button on his vest with one hand that he had just been standing completely naked in front of Sebastian. He didn't even have time to blush before he heard a feral growl from the opposite side of the room.

"Sebastian Michaelis…I'm…hah…going to…hah…KILL YOU!" Jack the Ripper roared. Ciel covered his ears, fearing that he would go deaf just from the volume of the man's voice. Sebastian smirked™ before he leaned down and gently pulled Ciel's hands away from his ears.

"Excuse me," Sebastian said politely. Ciel's eyes popped out of his head as a fire filled his body for a few seconds. It raced through his veins and numbed all of his senses. He didn't even have time to scream before the fire ceased to be. Ciel blinked when he looked down to see his broken arm and wrist completely healed. He looked up to see Sebastian inhaling deeply.

"What did you just do?" Ciel asked curiously. Sebastian smirked before he placed a glove over his bare hand.

"I just healed you…well, not all of you, just the parts of your body that could possibly hinder our escape. Now, do you think you can run Ciel?" the demon asked seriously. Ciel shook out his legs to check for any injuries before nodding dutifully. Sebastian glanced over to see the pureblood's hand shakily coming up from the floor. Ciel gasped when his hand was suddenly grabbed. Sebastian raced up the stairs, nearly dragging his smaller companion along.

"YOU CAN'T ESCAPE! NO ONE EVER ESCAPES ME! NOT EVEN THE QUEEN'S DOG!" Father Gregory screamed. An explosion sounding from Jack's former room filled the air. Ciel felt a scalding heat behind him and turned. His eyes widened when a torrent of fire blasted from the doorway and raced in their direction.

"Sebastian!" Ciel called out to warn his demon master. Sebastian merely nodded before he turned around. He stopped running and pressed the boy to his chest with one arm. Ciel fisted the material of the man's coat as he buried his head in the other male's chest, causing Sebastian to smirk. He raised his free hand and stared at the fire for a few seconds. His eyes glowed and flashed as a torrent of his own fire shot from a candle perched to their immediate right. The black-colored flames easily engulfed the orange ones, slowing, choking, and then obliterating them. Ciel untucked his head from the man's chest and gaped at the black flames licking the stone walls and stairs. The boy had no time to inquire as to how Sebastian had done what he had just done before he found himself stumbling after the older male again.

The two raced up the stone steps. When they reached the top, Ciel was shocked to find the body of one of the altar boys at the top of the steps.

_So this is what he meant by situations…_

Ciel shuddered before reluctantly following after the pale male. The immortal's eyes scanned the area for any signs of other inhabitants or for Father Gregory himself. Ciel constantly looked over his shoulder for any sign of the other man. Ciel's heart jumped when a flash of metal appeared in his peripheral vision. Sebastian growled before he suddenly dragged them both to the floor. He rolled over and covered Ciel's tinier body with his own just as three blades whizzed above their heads. A crash sounded from the end of the hallway before the weapons retreated back to wherever they had come from.

"Are you alright Ciel?" Sebastian hissed. Ciel nodded shakily, and the demon moved off of the boy's back. Ciel stumbled to his feet and looked down the hall, expecting to see the psychotic demon at any moment. Fear clutched at his heart as his eyes widened. He couldn't believe that he had almost been Jack the Ripper's next victim. As if to remind him of the other male's existence, his injured shoulder pulsed. Ciel cried out and gripped onto the injured area. Sebastian eyed his injured pet for a moment before silently cursing. There was no way he could heal an injury inflicted by another demon's weapon…at least not now.

"Ciel," Sebastian whispered lowly. The tone of the demon's voice shocked the boy. He was suddenly grabbed, whipped around, and gently pressed into the wall. He looked up at the other man with shock and slight irritation in his eyes.

"What are you doing master? We need to get out of here," Ciel hissed with disbelief. Sebastian glanced down the hall before looking down at his confused pet.

"**You** need to get out of here…**I** will handle Jack the Ripper. Now, if you continue going straight and make a right-"

"Absolutely not!" Ciel cut in. Sebastian's eyes widened as the boy glared up at him. "We are not separating again, not now. You saw what happened when you tried to protect me earlier today. No…we need to figure out a way to wipe this guy from the mortal world…**together**," Ciel added forcefully. The demon blinked down at his wounded pet before he softly smiled. This boy never ceased to surprise him.

Ciel gasped when he was suddenly enveloped in a passionate kiss. Not sure whether his master had lost his mind or not, but liking the thrill that ran through his body, Ciel hastily kissed the man back. To think, if Sebastian hadn't come when he did, Ciel would've never gotten the chance to participate in such an act with him again…not that he wanted to of course. He was merely making his master happy like a good butler would. The demon wrapped his arms around Ciel's waist and pulled the tiny body closer to him. Ciel clutched onto the front of Sebastian's jacket and willingly opened his mouth so his master could explore. The demon did so in a quick yet seductive fashion, causing Ciel to weakly moan as his tongue was sucked into the other man's mouth. Ciel felt his knees go weak as his cheeks burned with a fiery blush. For just a few seconds, the boy forgot where he was and the dire situation they both were in as he lost himself in Sebastian's kiss.

"You and every other Halfie are exactly the same…you waste your time being all **romantic** and **caring** for your pets instead of just taking what's yours," an annoyed voice said. Ciel's eyes popped open before he quickly pulled away from the other man. He looked down the hallway and felt his blood run cold as Jack the Ripper slowly made his way in their direction. His eyes held a manic look and his smile clearly had malicious intent in it. The man was once again wearing his brown robe, but it was covered in freshly spilled blood. Ciel watched, horrified, as Jack's once broken nose quickly repaired itself and the hole in the side of his head from the bullet closed back up. Sebastian smirked and moved one of his hands from the boy's waist to press it to the back of his head. He pulled Ciel closer to his body and glanced behind him. In order for this to work, the timing needed to be perfect.

"Idiot! What are you doing?" Ciel hissed, looking up into his master's ruby-red eyes. Sebastian made a shushing motion before winking at the boy. Ciel frowned but said nothing else. The demon turned to face the serial killer and warily smiled.

"Oh? So does that mean all purebloods steal what belongs to others?" Sebastian asked smartly. Jack growled angrily as he glanced down at the blushing boy.

"Your mark in the boy's eye makes me sick. You waste your time making contracts with these worthless creatures just so you can take their souls. Then you brainwash them with sweet romantic gestures while secretly darkening their souls to perfection… Such a waste of an immortal life," the demon shook his head forlornly before grinning. He pointed his blades at Ciel before glancing at Sebastian, "It is so much easier just to take hearts. Those contain the true essence of a human…so Sebastian, give me that worthless boy so I may feed," Father Gregory asked before licking his lips. Sebastian smirked.

"As a Halfie, I of course, have to obey your word or suffer the consequences," Sebastian began. Ciel stared up at his master with shock.

_What? He's just going to give me to him just like that?_

"So you may have Ciel," Sebastian paused, and Jack the Ripper grinned triumphantly. "If you can catch us first," Sebastian finished slyly before suddenly throwing himself backwards…

And right out the stain glass window.

Ciel gasped with shock as they burst out of the tower of the church. Shards of glass flew through the night air as the two fell straight to the ground. Ciel looked back to see Jack the Ripper gaping at them from where the Virgin Mary's face used to be. The boy clung onto the smirking demon and glared at him.

"Are you crazy? You're going to kill us!" Ciel screamed as they continued to plummet to the ground. Sebastian placed a kiss on Ciel's lips, causing the boy to scowl. The wind whistled in their ears and watered Ciel's eyes. He couldn't believe that he had escaped from a near death experience just to be killed by his suicidal master. The demon, however, knew exactly what he was doing. It was one of the escape routes he had planned out when they had visited the church two days ago. Sebastian guided their falling bodies towards one of the many rooftops of London. With the grace and skill that only a demon could possess, Sebastian adjusted Ciel so that he was carrying him bridal style, while simultaneously back flipping so his feet hit the roof first instead of his head.

Ciel had buried his face in the other man's chest when he had been adjusted because the spinning was too much for his head and his stomach. He continued to tremble in his master's arms for a few moments until he was positive that he wasn't currently splattered on the ground. He untucked his head and glared up at his smirking master. "What the hell did you do that for? We could've been killed!" Ciel scolded. Sebastian chuckled.

"I told you that I had mapped out all possible escape routes. That just happened to be the closest one," Sebastian replied calmly. Ciel growled and mentally berated himself for actually being happy to see this guy.

"You could have at least given me some sort of warning. You can scare people to do death doing those types of things," Ciel said crossly. Sebastian said nothing as he walked to the edge of the roof. Ciel clutched onto the man's coat as the demon jumped from the roof onto the ground.

"Are you admitting that you were frightened by such an act?" Sebastian asked teasingly. Ciel rolled his eyes before struggling in the other man's hold. The immortal took the hint and gently set the child on the ground. Ciel moved to adjust his clothing, but stopped due to the searing pain from his injured shoulder. Blood was quickly seeping onto the clothing covering the area. Ciel pressed his hand down on the area in an attempt to slow down the bleeding. Sebastian moved to the opening to the alleyway and glanced down the empty street. When no sign of Jack the Ripper presented itself, he motioned for Ciel to follow him.

The two males quickly moved from the alley and ran down the street. Sebastian knew what he was doing was quite dangerous; if they were caught, not only would Ciel be killed, but Sebastian would literally have hell to pay for tricking a pureblood. He mentally sighed. He really hated the way the whole demon hierarchy worked. It made his other job particularly difficult; it was a good thing he had the most powerful demon on his side, or else he would've been exterminated centuries ago.

Ciel panted for air as he followed his master. The combination of the pain in his shoulder and the physical exertion were definitely taking their toll on his body. He wasn't sure how much longer he could continue to run; however, he refused to ask for Sebastian's help. His pride wouldn't allow for such weakness to show. The demon would sometimes glance over his shoulder to see how his companion was faring. Every time he did so, the boy was looking progressively worse. Sebastian eyed Ciel's injury and had a mental argument with himself over what to do.

_Can I really do such a thing to my pet? It will only add even __**more**__ conditions to this contract between us…I am beginning to regret my decision to form a contract with this boy in the first place. This is definitely becoming much more complicated than I initially anticipated._

Ciel sighed with relief when his master's pace began to slow down. It was a good thing that whatever Sebastian was looking for was close by because the boy was positive that he wouldn't have made it if they had to go all the way to the other side of the city…or even to the hotel. Sebastian's sharp ears could faintly hear the sounds of scratching metal; Jack the Ripper was definitely close by.

_He is running his blades along the sides of buildings…that means he is very confident in his abilities to take both of us down._

Sebastian smirked at the thought. He had been right to pick this man as someone to make a deal with years ago. He was the type of demon who could easily by destroyed just by his own self-confidence and ignorance. The raven-haired male slowed to a walking pace and quickly turned into a narrow passageway. Ciel blinked before reluctantly following after the man. He had many questions for his master, but he decided to save them for later. The two walked down the narrow and rank-smelling area until they reached a dead end. Ciel glanced up at his master but Sebastian didn't say a word. The red-eyed demon took off one of his gloves and bit his thumb. The boy watched as his master brought the bleeding finger to the wall.

Faster than the boy's eyes could follow, Sebastian drew an exact replica of their contract symbol. No sooner did he finish closing the spiked outer circle around the star did the mark begin to glow. Ciel watched, fascinated, as the mark burned itself out, leaving scorch marks on the surface of the wall. Sebastian rapped the back of his hand against the burned wall. The burned bricks instantly crumbled from the light touch. A small hole was now present in the wall. Perched inside the hole was a silver briefcase that also bore the mark present on both Ciel's eye and Sebastian's hand. The demon wordlessly pulled the briefcase from its place and turned away from the wall. No sooner did he do so, the wall took on its previous form. The boy blinked; there was no sign of a hole nor were there any burns present. It was as if it had never been touched.

"Ciel, give me your hand," the demon said. Ciel looked down at his now kneeling master with a question in his eyes. He held out his free hand, but Sebastian shook his head. He silently pointed to the hand holding his bleeding shoulder while simultaneously unlatching the briefcase. "I need your blood in order to do this," Sebastian said seriously. Ciel blinked with confusion.

"My…blood? Master, you are more than just a noble, a businessman, and the Queen's Watchdog, aren't you?" Ciel asked suspiciously. Sebastian smirked as he pulled out a pistol. The silver gun had intertwining roses engraved on the barrel. On the brown handle of the gun was the contract symbol. He reached back into the suitcase and pulled out a black-colored cartridge. He flipped open a compartment on the bottom of the handle and shoved the cartridge into it. A click sounded before the compartment closed itself. He looked up at Ciel before closing the briefcase. Right before Ciel's shocked eyes, the container melded into the ground. Sebastian moved from his kneeling position and stood in front of his pet.

"You are very bright…you will definitely be useful to me. You are correct; I am not only a nobleman, a businessman, and the Queen's Watchdog. I am also a hunter of supernatural beings," Sebastian said. Ciel gaped at his stone-faced master before shaking his head.

"You mean…you hunt other demons and vampires and stuff?" Ciel asked. Sebastian smirked and nodded his head. "And you want me to become a supernatural hunter as well, which is why you need my blood. Correct?" Ciel deduced.

"You are correct again my pet. No other demon or being can touch a hunter's weapons…they will not work for them. There are other hunters like myself, but we each work on different parts of the Earth. These weapons are specialized for the specific being and are bestowed upon hunters by Satan, ruler of Hell," Sebastian explained. He paused to allow the information to sink in before he continued, "The only way another person can utilize a hunter's weapon is if the hunter themselves allows them to…or, if the hunter bestows part of their responsibility upon that being. In this case, we are going with option B. I am adding yet another term to our contract; not only are you my pet, butler, and partner for the Queen, you are now a supernatural hunter as well," Sebastian stated.

Ciel's head was reeling with what Sebastian had just told him.

_I'm going to become a supernatural hunter? Heh, it seems as if the list of things I am supposed to do just continues to grow._

Ciel's hand slightly tightened on his shoulder before he removed it from the area. He looked up into his master's eyes and smirked. "So what are you going to do with my blood-covered hand? Are you going to lick it like a dog?" he asked mockingly. Sebastian's eyes flashed before he gently grabbed the boy's wrist.

"The blood on your hand is both symbolic and physically needed. It symbolizes the fact you are willing to spill other creatures blood on your hands and it is physically needed so whenever you touch my weapons, they will activate for you. Now, I need for you to firmly grab onto the handle of this gun. Make sure that your blood is completely covering the symbol. You are going to feel pain in your contracted eye for a few seconds because the contract is being revised…again," a sly smile spread on Sebastian's perfect face, "And do try not to pass out this time. We are currently being hunted, and I do not wish to have both your unconscious body and Jack to deal with," he finished charmingly. Ciel growled with annoyance and spitefully grabbed onto the handle of the gun.

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Ciel adjusted his hand to see if perhaps he hadn't put the majority of the blood over the symbol. Sebastian patiently waited. Ciel began to feel a faint throbbing in his contract eye. It was an annoying kind of pain, but it was something that Ciel could definitely handle. Sebastian watched as the contract began to glow for longer periods of time. Suddenly, Ciel screamed. Blood formed in the corners of his brightly shining contract eye. It quickly spilled over and ran down the side of his face. The demon moved to place a hand over the boy's mouth to muffle his screams. If Father Gregory were to come at this very moment, they both were in serious danger. Ciel clutched onto Sebastian's arm with his free hand as white-hot pain originating from his eye traveled throughout his body. It felt as if every particle of skin was being torn apart only to be slowly regenerated while his internal organs were being blown up only to be stomped on. Sebastian held the boy's contract eye open to make sure the new change was being made. Gradually, script that only Sebastian could understand formed underneath the space between one of the sides of the star and the rim of the circle.

With one final flash, the contract was sealed. Ciel fell onto the other male as he gasped for breath. His whole body was shaking from the aftermath of the pain it had just felt. Sebastian gently removed the gun from Ciel's death grip; it would be a shame if the boy were to ruin one of his best weapons. Ciel's mind spun and pounded painfully; the pain his body had just undergone was **way** worse than whenever he would disobey Sebastian's orders. Slowly, his grip on Sebastian's arm loosened. After a few more minutes, Ciel was able to push himself off of his master. The demon tenderly reached for the boy's face and wiped off the twin blood trails with his thumb. Ciel brushed the man's hand from his face and wiped the rest of the liquid off himself. After thoroughly scrubbing the area, Ciel looked to see Sebastian loading another gun. The demon tossed the gun with the roses on it to Ciel. The boy caught it and was slightly surprised to see some of his remaining blood slowly seeping into the glowing symbol on the gun. When all traces of the salty fluid were gone, the symbol ceased to glow. The click from Sebastian's now loaded gun rang through the alley.

"You are going to explain everything to me before we reach the manor," Ciel commanded. Sebastian only smirked.

The sound of ragged breathing alerted both males' attention. Sebastian warily looked at the entrance of the alley to see a psychotically smiling priest staring at them. Ciel shuddered at the look in the man's eyes as he glanced at his body. The boy released the safety on his gun and was about to shoot the other man pointblank, but Sebastian put a hand in front of the opening of the boy's weapon. "The first rule of hunting: Allow for the prey to present themselves as one in need of extermination in three different ways," Sebastian murmured. Ciel gave the demon a look that suggested he needed to be the one exterminated.

"I win!" Father Gregory said gleefully. Sebastian cocked his head to the side and smiled politely.

"Oh? And what is it that you have won Father?" the demon asked. The golden-eyed man growled at the red-eyed demon before he stepped into the alleyway.

"Don't think that just because you work for Satan that you can trick purebloods like myself," the priest spat hatefully. Sebastian smirked™.

"You still call yourself a pureblood? Do you not think it is a tad ironic and hypocritical to be in a position of great power for **God** and still claim rights as a **demon**?" Sebastian asked.

_Reason one for extermination: has betrayed one's true nature, driving himself into insanity._

Sebastian tilted his head slightly to the side as the other demon's weapons shot at him. The blades crashed harmlessly into the brick wall. "Do not mock me **Halfie**. You have no right to interfere in my feeding habits," the pureblood hissed as his claws retracted.

_Reason two for extermination: feeding habits have become a want instead of a need._

"But you yourself should know as a pureblood, that stealing another demon's pet is a serious offense," Sebastian said calmly. Father Gregory growled before his eyes migrated to Ciel. Sebastian used his free hand to cover the boy's eyes in order to prevent the demon's attack. The priest cursed loudly before abandoning his attempt at hypnotizing Ciel to come to him.

"As if I fucking care about such things. A **true** demon always trumps a Halfie," the man said before laughing cruelly.

_Final reason for extermination: has thrown away all regards to supernatural law and etiquette._

Sebastian removed his hand from over the boy's eyes. He whispered softly, "Rule #2: Openly state reason for extermination to the hunted one." Ciel nodded with understanding and listened to the sound of Sebastian's gun's safety being released.

"Gregarious Sanctus, you are to be exterminated for betraying your demon nature, feeding unnecessarily, and for throwing away all regard for supernatural law and etiquette," Sebastian called out. The dark-haired boy watched as Sebastian's eyes began to glow. The normal blood-red was replaced with a swirling scarlet. Ciel shuddered at the change before turning to see Father Gregory launching himself in their direction. The boy gasped when he was scooped up from the ground with one hand. Sebastian balanced his inexperienced supernatural hunting partner with one arm and shifted out of the way. "And finally," Sebastian called out loud as he ducked underneath the other demon's swinging blades, "Rule number three: Exterminate your prey as quickly and as quietly as possible," he finished before taking aim.

The holy man ducked as a bullet whizzed towards the center of his forehead. It collided with the wall of the alley with a loud explosion. Debris flew into the air, creating a cloud of dust over the sparring demons. Sebastian was easily able to dodge the pureblood's frenzied swings. Ciel was shocked when he was suddenly placed on top of a trash can. He wildly looked at where his master should've been standing. Ciel scoped the cramped alleyway until he saw his master and the priest's forms. He watched with wide eyes as Sebastian delivered a punishing blow to the other man's stomach. Father Gregory cursed and moved to punch the smirking male in the face. Sebastian smoothly maneuvered out of the way to stand in front of Ciel. The boy's eyes widened to comic proportions when Sebastian gave him a searing kiss. He quickly pulled away and smirked.

"I had to get rid of extra weight. And yes, I will explain everything in due time so please do not move from this spot. It would be quite a shame if I had to-"

"Sebastian!" Ciel yelled out. Father Gregory rose up behind the oblivious man and made a downward swinging motion with his clawed hand. Sebastian's smirk only widened as he suddenly whipped off his coat. The material of the clothing temporarily blinded the demon, giving both Ciel and Sebastian the time to duck out of the way. Sebastian tightly wrapped the rest of the coat around the other demon's head and moved to the middle of the alley. He began to spin the other's body around and around over his head. Ciel began to get dizzy from the amount of times he saw Father Gregory spin around. Eventually, Sebastian unwrapped the coat and sent Father Gregory flying into the brick wall at the end of the alley. The raven-haired man shook out his jacket before he made his way back over to Ciel. He placed the coat over Ciel's head. Ciel opened his mouth to protest.

"Master-"

"It would make our travel home even more difficult if you were sick," Sebastian said before winking. Ciel frowned but held onto the ends of the jacket.

Father Gregory shook his head before standing straight. He brushed the dirt off of his robe before locking eyes with his smirking enemy. "Don't think that your little tricks will work on me. I will not allow for you to exterminate me!" he roared. Sebastian's smirk widened before he stepped back to the middle of the alley.

"I am not asking your permission; I am merely informing you that you will be exterminated from this mortal world to eternally live with Satan in the deepest depths of Hell. You should be happy that I am sending you home to be with your pureblood brothers and sisters once again," Sebastian reasoned. Father Gregory's eyes widened before his bottom lip began quivering.

"No! Don't send me back there…I'll be killed for sure!" he begged. Ciel blinked at the man's sudden attitude change. One minute he had been screaming death threats and making attempts on both of their lives. The next, he was pleading for his life. The boy shook his head.

_It really is true…killers truly are the biggest cowards._

"You won't be killed…you will merely be punished. I am sure that Satan has missed your presence Gregarious," Sebastian continued as he calmly stepped towards the other demon. The golden-eyed man shuddered before he suddenly disappeared. Sebastian's eyes widened when Ciel screamed. He whirled around to find his butler struggling valiantly against the other male. Gregarious crushed the boy to the wall and wrapped both of his hands around the boy's throat. Ciel gagged and kicked at the other male's body.

"Ciel!" he yelled out before running towards the pair. Father Gregory held up a hand, causing Sebastian to jerk to a stop. Gregarious laughed maniacally before turning to look at Sebastian.

"Still think you are in control Sebastian? Ha! Now you listen and you listen well. If you don't want your precious pet to be killed, you will do exactly as I say. Now, I'm just going to take my leave from this alley; if you make one wrong move, I will crush his windpipe and tear it from his throat. You will call off your extermination effort and leave me be for eternity. Do you understand?" the demon said. When Sebastian made no sound nor any moves, he squeezed Ciel's throat even tighter. Ciel squeezed his eyes shut and silently opened his mouth in futile attempts to breathe. Sebastian's eyes narrowed at the sight of his pet struggling in pain. His own body was slightly suffering due to the bond they shared. Ciel weakly turned his head and opened his eyes to look at Sebastian.

Sebastian was shocked by the look in the boy's eyes. Ciel was actually saying to continue with the hunt, to forget about his well-being. The boy was actually threatening to truly hate him even more than he already did if he allowed for Father Gregory to get away. Sebastian sighed before straightening himself out. His mind raced as he thought of a plan to once again rescue his pet and actually kill Father Gregory. A nearly invisible smirk formed on Sebastian's face; it was going to take all of Sebastian's acting skills in order for it to work flawlessly.

"Release Ciel…now," Sebastian ordered angrily.

"I don't have to take orders from you. Now back off!" the priest ordered. Sebastian's eyes flashed as his fists and teeth simultaneously clenched. He allowed for his demonic rage to fill every corner of his body. In order for his plan to work, he needed to harness all of his anger and focus it on the man hurting Ciel. Ciel watched as his master took calculating steps closer to them. The demon glanced in Ciel's direction and gave him a reassuring smile.

Both Father Gregory and Ciel's eyes widened at what Sebastian did next. The smaller man launched himself at the priest and tackled him to the ground. Ciel dropped from the wall and clutched at his bruised throat as he desperately filled his lungs with much needed oxygen. Sebastian and Father Gregory rolled around the ground, each one lunging for the other's throat. In order to win, one of them had to kill the other. Sebastian was counting on using his raw demonic anger in order to fight against the other.

Sebastian really was the weaker of the two. He didn't have nearly as much brute strength as Father Gregory. It was one of the many disadvantages of being a Halfie. They kicked, punched, and clawed at one another. At times, it would seem as if Sebastian would have the advantage. But then, Father Gregory would smash him into a wall or skillfully aim for the weakest parts of his body. Neither one was willing to give up.

Ciel watched in awe and fright as the two beings tore at each other. They fought like wild animals instead of like men. There were several gashes on Sebastian's body from where Father Gregory had gotten a good scratch and bite. Father Gregory didn't look any better. His nose was broken and one of his eyes had been clawed out. Regardless, Ciel could see that Sebastian was weakening. He covered his mouth in shock when Father Gregory pinned Sebastian down. His eyes widened as the other demon delivered punishing punches to Sebastian's face. He winced as each punch left a bruise or a gash on the man's once immaculate face. His master's struggles were becoming weaker.

"Master!" Ciel called out desperately. Sebastian's eyes lazily rolled in Ciel's direction. The look of worry and fear on the boy's face gave him a little more strength. He was able to send the other demon all the way to the brick wall at the back of the alley with a well-aimed kick. He pinned the man to the wall and ducked as the man swung at his head with his blades. Father Gregory shrieked when Sebastian grabbed onto the middle blade and used nearly all of his strength to tear the weapons right out of his hand. Bloodied and covered with splinters of bone at the end, Sebastian tossed the weapons to the entrance of the alley. Injured and frightened, Father Gregory unleashed all of his power on Sebastian. Blood sprayed from Sebastian's mouth as the pureblood demon punched him in the stomach.

Ciel could slightly feel his master's pain as Father Gregory literally beat the shit out of him. Never one to sit back and watch events occur, Ciel desperately searched for a weapon of some sort. His eyes traveled to the overturned trashcan. A glint of metal caught the boy's eye. He heard a pain-filled howl; his head snapped back towards the fighting demons. He was shocked by what he saw. Sebastian had once again been pinned down by Father Gregory. Only this time, the man was literally breaking every bone in his master's body.

"SEBASTIAN!" Ciel screamed. He dove for the trashcan and desperately dug through the trash, ignoring the agonizing pain in his shoulder, until his hand wrapped around his gun. Father Gregory was so focused on finally killing the annoying supernatural hunter that he didn't hear the panicked boy's screams and movements. Pain filled all of Sebastian's mental processes, but he couldn't resist the urge to smirk.

_All according to plan…_

"Don't smirk you bastard!" Father Gregory roared before he reared back and punched Sebastian in the mouth. "As soon as I'm finished with you, I am going to **fuck** Ciel to death," he whispered lustfully. Sebastian's eyes flashed furiously.

"Are…you sure…about that?" he asked confidently. Gregarious Sanctus broke his other arm, causing Sebastian to howl again. The man took great pleasure in hearing other's screams and cries. Because he had immersed himself in Sebastian's pain-filled howls, he didn't hear the click of a gun.

**BAM!**

Father Gregory paused in the process of breaking Sebastian's sternum to look down at his chest. A gaping hole where the left side of his upper torso should've been was missing. In its place was a swirling black vortex. The man's face paled to pure white as he locked eyes with Sebastian. His whole body began to shake as shock overtook him. Sebastian shuddered as he quickly repaired all of his broken bones and damaged organs. He never really got use to speeding up the process of healing. It always felt weird and left him in a fairly weak state.

He pushed the other demon off of him and ran over to his trembling servant. The boy was shaking so badly that the gun slipped out of his hands. Sebastian could tell that he was in shock from everything that had just occurred. Ciel looked up at him with fearful eyes and whimpered feebly, thinking that Father Gregory was coming for him again. The demon smiled at him before he lifted the boy into his arms. Ciel wrapped his arms around the male's neck and clutched onto his demon master. Sebastian held the shaking boy close and gently kissed him once, twice, three times before repeatedly whispering the boy's own name into his ear, bringing Ciel out of his shocked state; they backed up to the back of the alley.

"AAAAAH! NO, NO, NOOOOO! Please…have mercy! C-Ciel…HELP ME CIEL! SEBASTIAN PLEASE!" Father Gregory shrieked from his position on the ground. He rolled over and cried for the boy and his master as his hands extended in their direction. Ciel watched coldly as the vortex that originated from where the boy had shot the demon in the chest slowly began to grow. The hole began to suck things in the surrounding area into its depths. Father Gregory's body was slowly being sucked into it. Bits of flesh, bone, and muscle migrated into the hole. The demon desperately struggled and tore at his own body to try and escape the hole. It looked as if he was being stretched and twisted like dough. His face and neck were molding together. His body began to curl in on itself.

"I'll be back! I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS! You haven't seen the last of me! I swear it! I'LL KILL YOU…SEBASTIAN MICHAELIS!" the man screamed one last time before he was silenced forever. With a loud whoosh and a bright flash of light, Father Gregory was gone.

"Gregarious Sanctus, exterminated," Sebastian said monotonously.

**XXX**

"A-Ah…nnn, m-master! Stop i-it…It hurts!" Ciel whined. Sebastian leaned back to look at his sweating pet before smirking.

"It will feel better soon. You should know that by now," Sebastian added. Ciel blushed and adjusted himself underneath the larger male. Sebastian shifted a little more to the right...

"Ow! Be gentler!" Ciel yelled out.

"Maybe if you didn't move so much…" Sebastian mumbled with slight irritation.

"What was that?" Ciel asked threateningly. Sebastian smiled charmingly and transferred more of his power into his hand to speed up the healing process. The two males had returned to the hotel at exactly 11:30 that evening to find their hotel room to be completely fixed. Sebastian hadn't been fazed in the slightest by the condition of the room, but Ciel was shocked. After a few minutes of explaining that the hotel manager was a demon as well and always fixed rooms that had been destroyed by supernatural activity, Sebastian carried the boy over to the bed. Ciel began to punch at the other male's chest, thinking that the man was about to do something perverted to him. Sebastian had to pause again to explain to Ciel that he had to heal his shoulder before he bled to death. Ciel had paled at the thought and grudgingly allowed for the demon to proceed. If Ciel had known how much more painful this healing process would be than the earlier one at the church, he would've stuck with the human way.

Sweat was beginning to form on Sebastian's brow. Healing himself from another demon's attack had taken its toll on his body. Now that he was attempting to heal Ciel as well, he could feel his energy quickly being drained. It took a lot more power to heal injuries inflicted by supernatural beings' hands than by a human's because they were much more damaging and deadly. That was the main reason why he was healing Ciel in the demon way instead of just allowing for the boy's body to heal itself at a normal pace. Ciel bit his lip to stop himself from crying out as Sebastian finally pieced together his shattered shoulder bone. The demon pulled back some of his energy as he began to work on the torn muscle. It didn't take as much power to heal muscle and skin. Ciel squeezed his eyes shut as he felt every fiber of his muscle piece itself back together. Sebastian grunted and pulled back even more of his power to finally close the gashes from the blades. Ciel gasped with pain and tightened the hold he had on the other male's free arm. He dug his nails into the material and clenched his teeth.

Finally, Sebastian was finished with the boy's shoulder. He took a quick ten second break before moving to fix Ciel's broken nose. Ciel inhaled sharply through his mouth when he felt the broken cartilage snap back into place. He then moved to Ciel's hand that had been sawed through by Jack's knife. By now, Sebastian was panting and shaking above the boy. Ciel sat up and gently pushed the man off of him. "Okay, that is enough master. You have done enough. It is just some little bruises and scrapes that are left. Nothing that a little Witch Hazel won't be able to fix," Ciel said reassuringly. Sebastian breathed deeply before glancing at Ciel's severely scratched cheek. He reached out his ungloved hand and gently caressed the skin.

"You call that a little bruise or scrape? Not…even a scratch…should mar your beautiful face," Sebastian whispered before transferring the last of his healing power into his hand. Ciel winced at the pain and blushed at the remark as he felt the skin of his cheek move back together. He growled once Sebastian was done after seeing the man wobble slightly from his kneeling position on the bed.

"You are too stubborn for your own good sometimes. That was a waste of your energy! If you think I am going to drag you to the stagecoach, you are sorely mistaken," Ciel scolded as Sebastian closed his eyes to shut off his healing power. He slipped on a glove to cover his hand before he opened his eyes to smirk at Ciel.

"My apologies," he said humbly. Ciel rolled his eyes before hopping off the bed to pick up his discarded shirt. With quick and nimble fingers, the boy buttoned the shirt in record time. He ran a hand through his hair before he looked pointedly at his master.

"Well?" he prompted. Sebastian raised an eyebrow before a slightly confused look flitted across his face.

"I am sure you have the ability to speak in complete sentences, no?" he asked teasingly. Ciel glared before crossing his arms over his chest with a huff.

"You promised me in the alley that you would explain everything to me before we reached the manor," Ciel said with slight irritation. Sebastian leaned back on his hands and appraised the boy in front of him. He cocked his head to the side and smirked.

"We haven't reached the manor yet, have we? Besides, it takes two hours to reach the estate from London. Considering that we will be traveling in the dark, it may take even longer. Relax my pet. I will keep my promise; we demons cannot lie," the immortal said nonchalantly. Ciel frowned at how relaxed the other male was.

_To think, I had actually been worried about him a while ago too! Unbelievable…_

"You were a human before, correct?" Ciel asked suddenly. Sebastian looked genuinely taken aback by the boy's sudden question. A silence settled over the pair; sensing that Sebastian was at a loss for words, Ciel moved back over to the bed and sat himself beside the lounging male. "How long ago were you…like me?" Ciel coaxed in a softer tone of voice. Sebastian glanced over at his butler before he sighed resignedly. He knew that Ciel would continue to ask him these types of questions until he gave him a straightforward answer. He straightened up and ran a hand through his raven-colored locks.

"I have been a demon for a little over 500 years now. To be exact, I am 538 years old. In demon years, I am about the age of an adolescent or young adult. In human years, well," Sebastian paused to chuckle, "I should be dead." Ciel blinked at the centuries' year old man sitting beside him.

_How can that be possible? He doesn't look a day over 25!_

"I became a demon during the heart of the Black Death in 1349 (1), and I do not remember…well, I rather **choose** not to remember anything about my life before I became the demon that you serve faithfully," Sebastian said in an oddly cheerful tone of voice.

"Okay…so you are called a Halfie because…you were not born a demon?" Ciel inferred. Sebastian nodded before he suddenly cleared his throat.

"I would prefer if you did not use that word…it is very offensive to demons like myself. It is a derogatory term employed by older pureblood demons like Gregarious," Sebastian added. Ciel flushed at the rebuttal and folded his hands in his lap.

"My apologies master…um, so does that mean there are only two types of demons? Purebloods and Hal-I mean demons like you?" Ciel asked curiously.

"In a sense…but in reality, the demon hierarchal system is much more complicated than that. I will try to make it as simple as possible. You see, demons are categorized not by necessarily how they became a demon, but by their abilities. Imagine the hierarchal system to be a pyramid of sorts. At the top, of course, is Satan. Directly below Satan are the Sins. They are what you humans know of as the Seven Deadly Sins; in reality, they are actually seven of the most powerful demons: Pride, Avarice (Greed), Envy, Wrath (Anger), Lust, Gluttony, and Sloth. Next are the Sanctus' (2). In a way, they are regarded as sacred and hold great positions of power. The Sanctus' make up the Council, which is the highest form of authority in the demon world. They determine the laws and ultimately pass judgment on things that occur in both the human and the underworld," Sebastian smirked before locking eyes with his awestruck servant, "But the truth is they are merely Satan's…bedding mates," the demon chuckled before continuing.

"Below the Sanctus' are Purebloods. Purebloods are of course powerful and the most common type of demons. They can be divided into several groups, such as Slashers, like Gregarious, Shape-Shifters, Drinkers, and many, many, others. Believe it or not, Slashers are the lowest form of purebloods. A demon's position in the system based on abilities is derived not from how destructive their ability is, but how well the demon can control it and how slyly they can seduce or distress the human population. Below purebloods are Liberi (3). Demon children are highly prized, regardless of what type of demon their parents are. They are considered unstable because they do not know what ability they inherited from their parents, and they usually discover their ability by complete accident. It is the instability that makes them so cherished. There have been several times in history where a demon child will awaken an ability that has never been seen before."

"After the Liberi is the last and my group of demons, the Semihominis' (4), also affectionately known as Halfies. We are the demons who were once human, therefore, we are envied and also the weakest demons. We differ from the other types of demons; we can switch between abilities because our make-up is entirely unstable. If I chose, I could become a Slasher like Jack the Ripper and then switch to a Drinker. The only setback is I would have to revert to my original form in a relatively short amount of time or else I could possibly kill myself. The change on my body would be too much," Sebastian finished charmingly.

Ciel gaped at his demon master for a moment. His mind was buzzing with new questions and thoughts.

_It is very hard for me to believe that my master is one of the weakest demons…it is mind-blowing to even think that they are so many different types…_

"So, what type of demon is Sly?" Ciel asked after a moment.

"He is a pureblood…more specifically, he is a Morbi (5). His special ability is to cause plagues, such as the Black Death," Sebastian replied. Ciel bit his lip.

"How exactly is a human like me supposed to be able to identify these different demons? There are so many!" Ciel asked with slight frustration.

"Well, you could observe their lifestyle and find out their abilities over time, therefore categorizing them. You can also tell by a demon's feeding habits. Purebloods, for example, eat human hearts, although they do not have a necessity to eat for many centuries. Semihominus', like me, feed on tainted human souls. Drinkers are the only purebloods that don't eat human hearts. They feed on animal or human blood," Sebastian added off-handedly. Ciel tilted his head to the side and scrunched his nose cutely.

"Aren't blood-drinkers vampires?" he asked. Sebastian shook his head.

"That is something that you humans have mixed up. In fact, many demon types have been named incorrectly by your kind, even though the real beings are completely different. Drinkers are the ones who suck blood. A true vampire does not feed off of blood; they feed off of any beings', including demons', life-force. They are highly dangerous and have been hunted to extinction because of the danger they pose," Sebastian explained.

"Isn't there an easier way to categorize your kind and not confuse them with another supernatural being?" Ciel mumbled. The immortal smirked and gently grabbed Ciel's chin with one hand. He tilted the boy's face up and wrapped his other hand around the boy's back to pull him close so he was looking into his crimson orbs. Ciel placed his hands on the other man's chest to steady himself. A silence settled over the two; before long, Ciel's face began to heat up with a blush.

"Yes…a demon can be broadly categorized in one of the six groups based on eye color. If a demon falls into more than one of the main groups, then they have the option of changing their eye color," he said softly. Ciel's eyes lidded and he shivered at the feel of the other male's warm breath washing over his face. "A Sin has completely black eyes…it is like staring into endless voids. Sanctus' have brown-colored eyes, Purebloods' have gold eyes, Liberi have green eyes, and Semihominis' have my color eyes…a blood-red crimson," Sebastian whispered. Ciel swallowed unsteadily at the closeness of the other man's face to his own. He became all too aware of the feeling of the other man's arm on his chin and body.

"What about Satan?" Ciel asked just as softly. He could feel himself getting lost in his master's intense eyes.

"All colors," Sebastian responded before moving to kiss his mesmerized butler. Their lips touched softly and began a sensual dance that only they knew the rhythm to. Ciel felt the room instantly heat up. He squeezed his eyes shut with embarrassment when Sebastian moved his hand from the boy's chin to caress his blushing cheek. His heart rate increased drastically when he felt Sebastian's hand on his back slip underneath the hemline of his pants and underwear. Sebastian broke the kiss, and began to kiss and nip along Ciel's neck. The boy whimpered and bucked when Sebastian's finger poked at his entrance.

"M-Master...ahn, stop..." he breathed out before emitting a high-pitched whine when the demon bit on his sensitive earlobe. Sebastian moved to put another mark on the boy's neck; he abruptly stopped. The lack of stimulus to his neck caused Ciel to freeze. _Did he really stop? Why is he listening to me all of a sudden? _The boy blinked and nervously licked his lips. "Wh-What's wrong?" he asked uncertainly. Sebastian moved back slightly and glared at the mark the other demon had left on Ciel's neck. Following the man's gaze, Ciel was able to infer what had caused the demon to stop. He clapped a hand over the hickey and looked away uncertainly. "It's nothing too serious...I think he just put that there to make you jealous or something...um, he said something about you not doing better than that..." Ciel trailed off when Sebastian gently grabbed his chin so he was looking at his face. Ciel's hand slipped away from the hickey as he gazed deep into the other man's eyes.

_Yep...he's jealous. This is definitely not going to end well...for **me** anyway..._

"Well, we are just going to have to prove him wrong, now aren't we?" Sebastian said lustfully. Ciel's eyes widened; his response was muffled by Sebastian fervently kissing him. The boy's eyes fluttered shut as he softly moaned at the feeling. His hands fisted in the man's shirt when Sebastian threaded his fingers in the boy's silky hair. His other hand traveled back to its previous position near the boy's entrance. His finger traced the puckered hole, causing Ciel to tremble with nervousness and excitement at what was to come.

"Ohoho, I see that someone is giving a lesson of some sort! Can I help?" an excited voice sharply cut through the oddly romantic mood. Ciel's eyes popped open before he abruptly broke the amorous kiss. He jumped out of the other man's hold before tumbling ungracefully to the floor with a surprised yelp. Sebastian sighed before pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Don't you ever knock Yersinia?" Sebastian asked tiredly. The blue-haired demon smiled cheerfully before fully coming through the window. He laid on his stomach beside Sebastian on the bed and grinned up at him.

"Nope! You should know by now that I like to surprise people Sebastian!" the jovial demon said. Sebastian rolled his eyes and moved to help his shocked butler off the floor. Sly tilted his head to the side and glanced carefully at Sebastian.

"Sebastian…are you sure it's smart to be involved with that kid? Considering your current situation-"

"Is there actually a purpose for this visit?" Sebastian cut in sharply. Sly blinked, slightly taken aback by the other demon's bluntness, before pouting.

"Why does there always have to be a purpose for my visiting? You are so mean sometimes Sebastian! I don't understand how anyone can put up with you sometimes…" Sly said in a hurt tone of voice. Sebastian rolled his eyes before reaching into his back pocket. Ciel quickly wiped his recently kissed lips when he noticed Sly staring at him. The blue-haired male gasped and looked at Sebastian with horror. "Sebastian! You didn't do what I think you did…did you?" he asked with shock. The black-haired man tilted his head to the side before glancing over at his confused butler.

"What exactly are you implying Sly?"

"You made a **human **a hunter?" Sly whispered in a scandalized tone of voice. Sebastian made no comment; he merely handed the envelope to the Queen's servant. Sly ignored the letter and squinted at Ciel's contracted eye. A small smirk spread on his face before he comically wiggled his eyebrows. "Aaaaand you marked him as yours? So that's who I heard last night…" the male stated before winking at the dark-haired child. Ciel blinked at the man's words before he finally understood their meaning. He gaped at the smiling immortal with a bright flush on his cheeks before whirling to turn to his unfazed master.

"Do **all** demons have unnecessarily good hearing?" Ciel asked with exasperation. Sly rolled over so he was lying on his back. He let his head fall over the side and stared at the pair upside down.

"Weeeell, you were excessively loud…at least to most demons' ears. Some of them complained to me…although most of them were happy to have some form of entertainment for the evening. At least it wasn't all painful for you…" Sly added thoughtfully. Ciel buried his face in his hands; how many demons had heard his cries last night?

"I think you have once again worn out your welcome Sly," Sebastian said in a clearly fake tone of voice. Sly rolled back onto his stomach and frowned.

"Awww, don't be like that Sebastian! I was just having a little fun…," a grave expression formed on the man's youthful face, "But seriously, did you really make Ciel a hunter like you? Do you realize…"

"I am perfectly aware of what I have done. As a hunter appointed by Satan, I have the right to pass part of my responsibility onto whomever I choose," Sebastian cut in. Sly moved into an upright sitting position and reluctantly took the letter. He tucked it into the breast pocket of his suit before locking eyes with Sebastian.

"You are correct…but you do realize how much danger you are putting Ciel in, don't you? Hunters always end up becoming the hunted at some point. Even though the boy does show more maturity than most humans at his age, his race has never been part of the Hunters' society….at least for significant periods of time. Many of them go insane or…well, you know Sebastian. It is dangerous even for demons to be Hunters. You remember what happened to Timothy, don't you? He was hunted down by the mates of the beings he eliminated. Are you willing to not only put Ciel in danger but also for your contract to be revoked due to him witnessing your death? You know it is inevitable Sebastian. You are lucky you have lived for as long as you have…many mates are out for your blood you know. Do you know what will happen once word gets out that you have a **human** hunting partner? They will go after him because they will assume that he is your weakness," Sly paused for a moment before glancing over at Ciel. He was slightly surprised to see he didn't have a hint of fear on his face or in his eyes. Sly suddenly leaped from the bed to sit on the window ledge.

"Then again, that child has been surprising our race quite nicely. Perhaps he will actually last longer than a few months?" Sly added before smiling reassuringly at the blue-eyed boy. "Don't worry Ciel. If Sebastian doesn't survive a few more of his hunting expeditions, you can always form a contract with me! I will treat you very nicely. Like the lover you never had," Sly stated seductively. Ciel felt slight warmth settle on his cheeks at the tone of the other male's voice, even though he didn't know what he meant by a lover. Sebastian's eyes narrowed at the blush starting to form on Ciel's cheeks. Sly, sensing that his life was possibly in danger, hurriedly waved at the blushing butler.

"Kidding, I was just kidding!" he nervously laughed while glancing between Sebastian and Ciel. "Well, I think I'll be taking my leave now," he waved the envelope in front of his face before grinning, "I have a letter to deliver to Our Lady. I hope I can visit you guys again soon…especially you Ciel," he added huskily. Sebastian growled at the flirting demon, but Sly merely smiled at his angered friend. "Oh, by the way Sebastian, your ride is here. A good master wouldn't keep their servants waiting," he added in a sing-song tone of voice. With a wink at Ciel and a wave at Sebastian, the other demon was gone.

**XXX**

Although he was reluctant, Ciel was once again sharing a bench with his perverted master. Already, the man had attempted to kiss and grope him several times…every time, he was harshly denied. After about twenty minutes of failed attempts, Sebastian had finally given up. The only sounds that could be heard were the horses' hooves on the road and the sound of the wheels turning. Ciel was gazing out the window, watching the scenery pass by. Everything was so peaceful and relaxing in nature. The boy could feel himself being lulled to sleep by the sounds around him. It was hard to believe that only an hour ago, he had been desperately thinking of a way to save his master's life. It amazed the child how quickly time flew in life. It was so fleeting, so delicate, and yet, it could be resolute and harsh at times. Ciel glanced at his quiet master out of the corner of his eye.

_If time seems to be going fast at times for me, what is it like for Sebastian? Is time like a never-ending cycle of days, seasons, and moments? I wonder why he doesn't want to remember his life before he became a demon…perhaps it is too painful for him? I never did get to ask him exactly how a human can be changed into a demon. Is it a painless experience? Is it horrifying? Does he even remember the moment he changed? Heh, if he did, he probably would __**choose**__ not to relive it. But, I really am curious about what Sebastian the human was like…was he always so sardonic and knowledgeable? Is that even how he looked as a human? What was life like back in the 1300s? Is he frightened by all the technological advances around him? It must be at least slightly unnerving to see things evolve around you. Then again, this guy would probably embrace the changes with open arms. But what about watching the people around him disappear? Is that the reason why he doesn't want to grow close to anyone…even me?_

"It won't happen again," Sebastian suddenly stated. Ciel blinked and looked over at his stone-faced master.

"What won't master?" he asked before yawning tiredly. The pale immortal turned to face him with a small smile.

"I won't comfort you like that again during a hunting expedition or a mission for the Queen, although it was slightly entertaining to squirm in such a way…like a beetle's larvae," Sebastian replied with an angelic smile. Ciel blinked before frowning. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared out the window.

"Don't compare me to a bug, that's disgusting! I only looked like that because you were fooling around instead of doing your job. Besides, I didn't ask you to comfort me in the first place-"

"Because I will protect you to where you will never have to be afraid like that again," Sebastian finished softly. Ciel stiffened before turning to look at his master.

"I wasn't afraid…and besides, don't make promises you can't keep," Ciel scolded in a quiet voice. He yawned again and felt himself beginning to nod off. Sebastian chuckled before looking out the window on his side.

"As a master, where would we be if I couldn't accomplish such a small matter?" Sebastian said confidently. Ciel's eyes drooped slightly before his body began to sway. He didn't realize he was so tired.

"You…are too…noisy sometimes. Stop being…so full of yourself," Ciel mumbled. Sebastian ran a hand through his silky hair.

"Do you think it is appropriate for you to scold me for such things? If I remember correctly, you were the one boasting after Sly departed that you weren't frightened by his words. That you would most likely surpass me because I am not focused enough on the right things-" Sebastian was suddenly cut off by a slight thump on his shoulder. Thinking that the boy had punched him, he turned to scold the boy. His eyes widened at the sight he saw.

Ciel's head was resting on his shoulder; he had fallen fast asleep. Sebastian stared at the sleeping Phantomhive for a moment. The sound of his quiet breathing filled the stagecoach as they continued to peacefully head home. Occasionally, shafts of moonlight would filter in through the window and illuminate the boy's sleeping face. He looked completely relaxed and peaceful. It gave the illusion he had never experienced any hardship in his life. The innocence that radiated off his china doll face made Sebastian's heart thump unsteadily for a second. The demon's ears perked up when he heard the boy softly mumble his name…shortly followed by an insult. A small smile formed on Sebastian's face when Ciel snuggled into his shoulder before he returned to looking out the window.

* * *

(1): **That date is actually historically accurate. According to some sites I found on Google, the Black Death took place in England from the years of 1348 to 1350...geez, do you realize how old Sebastian is? And he still looks smexxi! ^-^**

(2): **Okay, so I don't know ANY Latin whatsoever, I used the language because it's really old and in this story, those are the proper names for demon categories...so I used a translator I found on Google...so if this is wrong, someone who understands Latin let me know so that I can fix it. But anyway, Sanctus is Latin for saint (Noun) and it can be used as an adjective to describe something holy, sacred, divine, etc. So that's why this group of demons are known as the Sanctus's.**

(3): **Liberi is Latin for children...so that explains why it's used as the name for the Demon Children category.**

(4): **Semihominis is Latin (obviously XD) and it means half-man, half-human, and half-monster. So you can see why I chose this Latin word to describe Sebastian's group of demons; he used to be a human, therefore he is half-man, and now he is a demon, so he is half-monster (but a very smexxi monster! ;D).**

(5): **And the final Latin word: Morbi. Morbi is plural for Morbus, which means sickness, illness, disease, etc. Sly's name, Yersinia Pestis, is the name of the bacteria that caused the Black Death. So you can see how they correlate with each other.**

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**Naruto: I'm free! Did you miss me J-C?**

J-C: *staring at the computer and rewatches the Alois and Ciel scene from Episode 5*

~Sasuke~ I think that's a no Naruto...

Naruto: *pouts* Don't ignore me J-C! I can do something to Sasuke that's 10x better than what that blondie is doing to Ciel! *grabs Sasuke and imitates what's happening on the screen*

~Sasuke~ A-Ahn...dobe...st-stop!

J-C: *shushes them* Keep it down you guys...this is the most slashable thing to happen in Kuroshitsuij yet!

Naruto: Looks like we need to increase our efforts Sasuke... *smirks*

~Sasuke~ Help me...

J-C: *finishes watching the scene* Oh, we're already at the end of the chapter huh? *stares at the floor where Sasuke is being ravished by Naruto* How the heck did you guys end up on the floor?

~Sasuke~ S-Save m-

J-C: Welp, I guess it's time to say sayonara to everybody! I had lots of fun writing those two chapters, so it would be really awesome if you guys could review one or even both of them! *puppy eyes* Please? I think it would be so EPIC if I got 100 reviews for one chapter...that probably won't happen, but it doesn't hurt to dream, right? XD Oh yeah, I just wanted to say thankies to all the people who have subscribed to me on Youtube. It means so much to me! I now have close to 30 subscribers! ^-^ I've gotten past my goal of having 25 subscribers...maybe I can get to 50 soon... *smiles* I also want to say thank you for everybody's kind comments on my dedication vid to you guys! ^0^ Anyhoo, we have finally come to the end of the Murder-Mystery arc. Whew...that turned out to be a pretty gory arc...but I'm super excited about moving on to the new arc. Things are only going to get more complicated for our lovely mains as secrets are uncovered, pasts are remembered, and new characters are introduced! I can't wait to see you guys in the 13th chapter of One Hell of a Master! If you thought things were crazy now, get ready for twists that will blow your mind, massive nosebleeds, and DRAMA. See ya sooner than you think!

Ja ne for now! ^-^


	13. The Choice

******J-C: *yawns tiredly* Hello everybody...**

**~Sasuke~ Geez J-C, you look really messed up...**

******Naruto: What happened?**

**J-C: School *insert dramatic music***

******~Sasuke/Naruto~ O.o**

**J-C: Yes my dear readers, I have returned to school! Back to waking up ridiculously early, tremendous amounts of homework, and unnecessary stress...but at least I get to see all of my buddies again!**

******Naruto: Way to be optimistic J-C!**

**J-C: Thanks Naruto! Besides, it's hard for me not to be! Especially when there's a brand spankin' new arc about to be presented! *cheers excitedly* Not only that, the subbers for Kuroshitsuji 2 subbed super quickly this week! Like, I checked on Thursday and the RAW was up, and then I checked yesterday and it was already subbed! ^0^ I squealed really loudly. I will not ruin the 7th episode, but I will just say that there are A LOT of WTF moments...even Sasuke had a WTF moment...didn't you?**

**~Sasuke~ *looks away* Did not...**

**J-C: *rolls eyes* He'll never admit such things... But there's one thing I will admit...MY READERS ARE THE BEST IN THE WHOLE FREAKIN' WORLD! *huggles them all* After totaling the reviews for both Chapter 11 and 12, I got a grand total of 77 reviews! You guys totally rock my socks! ^0^ Thanks so much for all the support and love that you have shown this story. I am also happy to say that I have now reached 30+ subscribers on youtube, so thank you also for that! I never once in my wildest dreams thought that one of my stories would reach over 400+ reviews...and we aren't even halfway done yet! Even though school is now in session, I will still attempt to update once every week (although it most likely will be once every 2 weeks once I get homework), only I will do so on the weekends instead of during the school/work week. I usually finish typing a chapter in about two days, but it takes a longer time for me to answer reviews (which I totally don't mind ^-^), so that's probably why updates might be a little slower...but I am not giving up on this story!**

******Naruto: *sniffles* Like she did with Broken and Catch Your Wave...**

**J-C: I didn't give up on those stories! It's just... *ducks and apologizes profusely* I kinda lost my inspiration with both of them...like, my brain knows what I want to write, but when I start typing, it just doesn't feel/sound right. So I am officially deleting those stories from this site until I honestly can write quality chapters for them. It would be unfair to my readers to update with a crappy chapter that I am not honestly satisfied with just to say that I updated. It's also wrong to have both stories on my page when I'm honestly not writing them anymore (it's like giving false hope, which is really mean). I hope readers who read both this story and the other two aren't too disappointed with me. I'm really really sorry... I feel really bad about this because it feels like I've let down some of my faithful readers. I don't want anyone to hate me...do you guys hate me?**

**~Sasuke~ Well... *pulls out kunai***

******Naruto: I understand J-C...but you know that means you have to work even harder on this story to make up for ousting stories that involve us...**

**J-C: Thank you Naruto...you're so understanding!**

******Naruto: But does that mean you're eliminating us from your Author Notes too?**

**J-C: *gasps* Never in a million years! That would be like taking out the Disclaimer and Warnings!**

******Disclaimer: Considering the fact that I couldn't even update more than one story at a time without losing inspiration for the other two...it is quite clear that I couldn't handle ownership of Kuroshitsuji. So nope, only Yana Toboso owns that!**

******Warnings: Even though it's a new arc, we still have our same lovely warnings: a little bit of violence, bad language, sexual situations/themes/ideas (oooh, a new one! ^-^), lime (I think...it's close to lime status anyway xD) and BOY x BOY love!**

**J-C: Also, (XXX) stands for scene/time changes, thoughts look like this (**_Broken and Catch Your Wave are both deleted from this site_**), regular dialogue and stuff looks like this (**School is back in, which somewhat contributed to why my other two stories are no longer being written for...**), emphasis either looks like this (please don't flame me!) or like this (_I'm really sorry!_), things with numbers behind them mean there is extra info at the bottom (**Deleted (1)**), and sound fx look like this (CRASH!). Everybody got that? Alright, so hows about we move on to a happier topic and get started with the new arc/chapter of One Hell of a Master? Everyone, please enjoy Chapter 13! ^-^**

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**Chapter 13: The Choice**

_My name is Ciel Phantomhive. I was born on December 14, 1875; my birthday will be coming up soon in a couple of months. I am currently 12 years old and work as the head butler for the Michaelis household._

_I wish to commit suicide._

_I know…I am not yet 13 and I wish for my life to end already. But although I strongly wish to hang myself from a chandelier or to "accidentally" fall into one of the many ovens in this manor, I cannot give my master the satisfaction of having my soul yet._

_Argh! That…that…that __**thing**__! If it weren't for him, I am positive my life would be…well, I guess it is not __**entirely**__ because of him that I wish I were dead at the moment. Just thinking about what I must do every single day just to keep this place running smoothly without tarnishing the master's reputation makes me cringe._

_First and foremost, I must be the first to rise in the morning, yet I am also the last one to go to bed. Tanaka, my tutor and the former head butler, has repeatedly drilled into my skull the importance of this rule. I personally think it is utter rubbish. Now, I am not one for sleeping in until afternoon tea time, but I strongly believe when it is dark outside, humans are meant to be sleeping. But no, I go to bed when it is fairly late in the evening, and wake up when it is so early in the morning it still looks like it is night outside. Suffering from sleep deprivation, I tumble out of bed and prepare myself for the day. I take a quick, and usually ice-cold, bath since I am both pressed for time and lacking running water in my quarters. It is a pain to just get the water in the first place; there is no way I am going to wait for God knows how long until the water is heated over the fireplace in my room._

_Freezing but now wide awake, I dress myself in the old-fashioned and monochrome outfit my master has been so kind as to provide for me. At least it now fits me properly to where I do not look as if I am swimming in a pile of clothes. I quickly comb through my hair before sliding white gloves over my hands. I have no idea why my master wishes for me to wear gloves as well…he has a weird fetish for the things, I swear. Lastly, I tie my black eye patch over my contracted eye. I am not sure why I bother sometimes; the other servants in the household already know what is underneath the cloth patch._

_Speaking of the other servants, my next duty as a butler is to wake and assign them their duties for the day. Sometimes I think it would be best if I just allowed for them to sleep the entire day away. No matter what task I assign to them, they always find a way to turn it into a catastrophe of sorts…resulting in more work in my already work-filled schedule. Regardless, I must fulfill my duties and go down the hall to speak with the servants. I usually speak with Finny and Bard first since they are closest to my room. It is much easier to wake up the gardener than it is to wake up the self-proclaimed chef. After much grumbling and such, I leave their room and go to wake up Maylene, the maid. I do not go into her room; even though she severely lacks the skills to even be called a maid, she is still of the female gender. It would be disrespectful and scandalous for someone of the opposite gender to enter a female's room. I call gently through the door for her to wake and report to the kitchen._

_After waking the bumbling idiots…I mean the other workers, I go to the kitchen and begin to prepare my master's breakfast. I am not sure if he actually eats the food I prepare for him, considering his __**true **__nature, but I do it anyway because Tanaka told me it is essential for the master to be well-fed. Usually in the middle of my breakfast preparations, my fellow servants come stumbling into the kitchen. Bard proceeds to burn part of the kitchen making our breakfast, resulting in my shooing him to the table, doing my best to clean the burnt equipment, and preparing everyone's breakfast, excluding myself. While they eat, I have to discard the breakfast I had started preparing for Master Michaelis because it has gotten cold. I start anew and while the tea kettle is warming up on the stove, I go out back to pay the newspaper boy. I receive the paper and take a moment to look at the rapidly lightening sky. I sigh and then go back into the kitchen to iron the paper. It is vital there are no creases or wrinkles in places there shouldn't; the master is very particular about such things. By the time I am finished ironing __**paper**__ (how stupid, I know…), the water is boiling for the tea. I prepare the tea and set the master's breakfast on the proper dishware before placing it on a tray._

_By now, the adults are finished with their meal (and somehow Daytime Tanaka is sitting in the corner of the kitchen with a steaming cup of green tea). Maylene attempts to clear the table and ends up shattering the majority of the dishes. I, of course, am stuck with the clean up, and am very close to blowing my top…and it is only seven in the morning! Once the glass is carefully picked up from the floor and properly disposed of, I relay their duties for the day. They all give exuberant reactions, thinking they will impress me with their "skills" before the day is out. I resist the urge to sigh at their idiocy…I mean, enthusiasm and send them on their way. I search in my breast pocket and pull out my master's schedule for the day and quickly memorize the items while simultaneously eating my breakfast._

_It is then time to wake the bastard, I mean, the master of the household. I reluctantly walk with the breakfast cart to his bedroom, thinking of clever ways to avoid even more sexual abuse and molestation before lunch time. I find this part of my day to be the most pointless; my master does not require sleep. In fact, I have never once seen him nod off or take a nap. He does not even look tired! I guess it is one of the oddities of demons. I knock politely on the door and announce my presence before entering. I do my best to hide my anxiety when I close the door behind me. My master is usually lying on top of the covers of his bed, staring up at the ceiling, but sometimes he is standing with his back to me, looking out the window. Regardless, he is never sleeping. I mentally think of the list I had to memorize of my master's schedule for the day while quickly gulping down a cup of tea and stuffing a scone down my throat._

_I call out to him and tell him it is time to wake up…which is even more pointless than this whole routine. He turns to me and appraises me for a moment before moving to sit up on the bed. I stop near the side of his bed and begin pouring the tea while relaying today's breakfast menu. I give him his choices of food, which is useless because he probably doesn't even eat the food. He guesses the tea I am pouring based on scent, I tell him he is correct (as __**always**__), and he tells me the food he prefers for breakfast. It is around now that I inwardly cringe; I have to dress him. Even though he is a __**grown man**__, he still wishes for me to dress him…I know he can do so himself. He just does this to get in his first round of molestation. It usually occurs when I head over to the armoire. I turn my back to him to pick out his outfit for the day. When I reach for the first clothing item, I feel a pair of arms wind their way around my mid-section. I freeze, even though I knew it was going to happen, and gasp softly when he begins kissing the side of my neck._

_It is not as if I __**enjoy**__ when he does those things to me…it just feels weird and makes my body feel strange and stuff. He pulls me back so I am flush against his front and begins to whisper obscenities and all the things he liked me doing last night while working his hand to my…ahem, private area. By this point, I have had enough of his harassment and tell him where he can rightfully go. He chuckles before whipping me around in his arms and kissing me. I do not respond; I find if I do not have any noticeable reaction to the things he does, he leaves me alone for a while. As always, it works. He releases me and moves back to his bed. I turn around as if nothing happened, even though I am contemplating where to hide his body by now, and grab his clothes for the day. I walk over to his bed and relay his tasks for the day in a clipped tone. I dress him quickly, avoiding eye contact and looking away when I have to change his undergarments. It is then he chuckles at me, and asks why I am still so modest after…and then he will say something I did last night that was particularly embarrassing. I ignore his comment and finish dressing him. By now, I sincerely wish for an assassin to come and kill this smugly smiling man. I don't state this wish out loud, and bow slightly with a hand over my heart and ask to excuse myself._

_This is when round two of molestation occurs. It is odd, but every time I look up from bowing, I find myself lying underneath my master…on the bed. I still do not know how he manages to move me without me feeling a thing. I have never gotten the chance to ask that question because he proceeds to make a mess out of me for the next thirty minutes, cutting off all coherent thought and the like. Before he gets too carried away, I always manage to think of a clever excuse to get away from him before he goes against our contract…again. He always looks slightly annoyed but he releases me every time. I quickly redress myself; I am not __**entirely**__ naked, but enough of my body is exposed to be considered shameful. He chuckles at me and again asks why I am so modest. He tries to convince me to come back to bed and spend the morning with him. I growl and scold him for his appalling behavior; my master's morning…needs are going to get him killed one of these days. I am not saying by me (although it is a very appealing and appropriate thought)…but it cannot be good for his health to be so…horny every day._

_He always manages to steal another kiss from me before he finally allows for me to take my leave. I do so, doing my best to hide my relief at finally being free…for now. While the master "eats" his breakfast in bed, I go and tidy up the kitchen. Because my master is such a successful businessman, there is usually one visitor who chooses to come to the manor nearly every day. It is unacceptable for anything to be out of order; according to Tanaka, the Michaelis household is highly esteemed and is expected to always be perfect and orderly. As the head butler, it is my job to prepare the evening meal, entertainment, and the like. I hate when there is company…it only makes my job even __**more**__ difficult. No matter what my feelings are, I must act accordingly. I reluctantly begin preparing the extravagant meal. About a quarter of the way through, I will hear a loud crash._

_Although some may find clumsy maids to be charming, I honestly wonder if it would be alright to break society's rules and give her a good whack on the head. I usually find her surrounded by broken glass since her second task of the day is to polish the dishes. She turns to me and apologizes profusely for her clumsiness. I comfort her and tell her to continue with her tasks for the day. She smiles and hugs me, saying I am kind. I push her away and order her in a controlled voice not to touch me and to go. She always looks saddened and shocked by my reaction to her touch; I cannot help it. For some odd reason, I find I do not like to be touched by other people. I __**fear**__ it. Even if the touch is completely nonthreatening, and I know I will not be harmed by it, terror always rises in my heart. That is the main reason why I despise being touched because I despise myself for being afraid of such an act._

_Somewhat depressed by now, I return to the kitchen and finish preparing the meal. I do not actually cook it. What would be the point in doing that if the food won't be served until later? At this time, I hear an explosion from the other side of the kitchen. I turn to find the other half of the room charred and ruined. Bard will say something about too much firepower and I try and think why Master Michaelis would be dumb enough to put such a violent guy in a cooking environment. I tell him to clean up the mess and confiscate the flamethrower. I do not know why I bother anymore…he always seems to find where I hide the weapon._

_I glance at the clock and sigh when I see it is time for afternoon tea. I grudgingly prepare a light snack along with the drink and proceed to my master's study. My master will always complain to me about humans and their imperfections. I mentally roll my eyes at his complaints, thinking of demons and their annoying habits. On the outside, I agree because as a butler, I am not allowed to share my opinions too much. I serve his drink and manage to avoid another bout of molestation. He says he cannot focus if he cannot get in at least one good touch…I hate myself for actually blushing at such a crude statement. Still, I resist his advances and tell him to finish his work already since he has time to harass me. I remind him of the contract and how I am only his sex pet from the hours of midnight to two am. He sighs and tells me I am too serious for a child and should relax a little more. I glare at him and remind him of when we caught Jack the Ripper. I had followed his advice and did not accompany him; because of that, I was nearly killed, and I broke a part of our contract. Now I am his pet again until we get another assignment from the Queen. I know now he set me up; he knew I would not be able to be with him every single second during an investigation…so really, the change in our contract has done nothing to improve my situation._

_I leave his office and am tackled to the ground by a crying imbecile, excuse me, adult. I sigh, knowing it is Finny's turn to tell me how something went wrong. He sniffles for a few moments before finally communicating with me that he once again killed all plant life because he forgot to close the bottom of the weed killer container. I follow him outside, thinking calming thoughts to avoid strangling him. When I assess the damage to seriously find no signs of life outside, I try and dig into my greenery knowledge. When I cannot come up with a solution, I have to use __**my**__ pocket money and tell him to buy some new trees and shrubs. He smiles happily and goes to spend my money, not once thinking about the damage he has done to both the yard and my sanity._

_The next few hours of my day are spent tidying up the manor. I have to greet the guest when he arrives, and I lead him to my master's study. I ignore the man's stares; I am used to it by now. When people visit the manor, they expect to be greeted by an adult butler. To see a child my age (with an eye patch as well) dressed in butler attire always takes them by surprise. At first, I was offended by their reactions; some laughed, others asked for me to go and get my father, assuming that I was playing butler or something ridiculous, and I believe one person even had the audacity to ask if I was "entertainment" of some sort. Now, I am indifferent to their reactions. It is not worth my time to try and explain to them my situation. I merely do my job and leave them to speak with my master about whatever they want._

_While my master negotiates with the guest, I begin to actually cook the previously prepared food. By this point, I am exhausted and sincerely hope for the day to come to an end already. When I place the meat into the oven to cook, I seriously contemplate throwing myself into the heated appliance too. I do not and take my place at the table to eat Bard's charcoaled meal for us servants. I have gotten very good at hiding my disgust for his cooking, and I finish eating without a word. I relay to the others to behave themselves while the master and the guest eat. I no longer allow for __**any**__ of them to directly have contact with guests. After Maylene spilled wine on the table cloth, Finny nearly knocked a tree over and onto a visitor, and Bard burned a meal for the master and his company, I have decided to take over during the time a visitor comes._

_I bring out the meal with a flourish and smile weakly when the guest compliments me for my skills. He comments on my age and the like; I merely nod and say I am not worthy of his praise. I can feel my master's eyes trained on me the whole time while I make polite conversation with the male. I excuse myself and move to stand behind my master. I block out their talk and look generally disinterested. Finally, they finish the food and move to play billiards or chess. I clean up the dishes and leave Maylene in charge of their washing. I tell Bard and Finny they are free to do whatever for the rest of the evening._

_I see the guest out and tell him it was an honor to have him visit. He smiles at me and gets into his stagecoach. I breathe a sigh of relief and check my pocket watch. It is now time for Tanaka to tutor me. It seems Tanaka's tutoring sessions are the only times when I can regain my sanity from a long day of work, molestation, and idiocy. I find he is the one person I truly have respect and even slight admiration for. However, the old man never goes easy on me. He drills me on topics we have studied from months ago to make sure I have truly retained the information before we begin intensive studying of whatever topic he chooses. Sometimes he allows for me to do independent study while he busies himself with his nightly duties. I find those times to be the most relaxing and rewarding part of my day. I can immerse myself in whatever I want and I do not have to tell Tanaka what exactly I was studying in the time of his absence._

_However, my peace does not last long. When the clock strikes midnight, a shudder always runs through my body. My contracted eye will begin to prickle; a silent reminder of the part of the contract I must fulfill. I always dread those two hours I must spend with my master. I drag myself to his bedroom and stand outside the door for a moment before I announce my presence. Just like in the morning, he is always laying on top of the bed, waiting for me. Only this time, when he looks at me, his eyes are always hungry and lust-filled. There have been times when they have even been glowing! He either makes his way to me or he calls me over to him. He always thinks of new ways to humiliate and take me. It is embarrassing how he will whisper things in my ear about how flexible I am or how my kissing has improved. He does things to my body I cannot even think about without being thoroughly mortified. He will not stop with his foreplay until I cry out and literally beg him for more. I can't believe that I've actually begged before…and to the likes of him too! He will smirk and ask me how I want it. By this point, I can no longer think for myself, so he thinks for me. He makes me say things I never dreamed I would say just so my aching and flushed body can find some relief. Always in the middle of our…activities, he will stop and ask if I like it._

_Like it?_

_I __**hate**__ it so much! I hate being his pet…every time we finish, I feel so dirty; like a used piece of trash. Or even "better", a discarded sex toy. I quickly retreat from his bedroom and ignore his comments and calls of my name. Finally, my day is over. I almost always run to my room and quickly strip myself of my clothing. I ignore the throbbing in my butt and slip into my nightclothes before crawling under the covers, thinking comforting thoughts about torturing and then murdering my demon master._

_Ugh…just thinking about how a day normally goes for me in this household makes me want to drown myself. Especially the moments I have to spend with my master. As if the three adults who do not act their age aren't enough, I have to be molested on top of it! I honestly wish he would drop dead from a mysterious disease of some sort. I __**hate**__ Sebastian Michaelis. That demon has made my life a living hell. It is sad, but I am impatiently waiting for the day he takes my soul. At least I will be free from this monotonous lifestyle…and of him._

_And yet…why does my heart pound whenever he gently takes me in his arms and pulls me close? Why does my breath catch and my eyes flutter when he tenderly kisses me out of the blue? Why do my knees go weak when he takes my hand and kisses the top of it? Why does a thrill run through my body when he picks me up from the ground and carries me like a bride to his bed? Why am I speechless when he softly lays me down on the sheets? Why don't I slap him when he whispers things about my beauty when we lie underneath the covers? Why can't I reprimand him when he strokes the side of my face in the heat of our passion? It confuses me…these emotions I feel that swirl inside of me. I __**know**__ I despise him with every fiber of my being. I feel this burning hatred when he teases me, when he molests me, and especially when he smirks at me. I also know if you truly hate a person, you wouldn't feel such things whenever that person chooses to do something spontaneous and romantic. So what exactly is going on? Well, regardless of the confusion that demon causes me, there is one thing I know for certain…_

_I wish to commit suicide._

**XXX**

Ciel was truly tempted to use the meat cleaver in his hand for something other than cleaving meat when he heard the sound of a bell. Today wasn't going as planned at all; his master actually had the nerve to tell him not to reprimand him for his lustful tendencies, Bard had burned the majority of the kitchen instead of just a part of it, Maylene had destroyed the new tea set Ciel had taken great pains to pick out for the master, and Finny had just taken his last pound to go and buy new flowers. He gritted his teeth and looked at the board of bells to see where his master wanted his presence. The blue-eyed boy's eyes narrowed when the bell over the sign, Study, continued to ring. The butler glanced over at the clock with a raised eyebrow.

_It is too early for afternoon tea…what could he possibly want at this time of the day?_

Ciel sighed before firmly embedding the cleaver into the wooden cutting board. He wiped his hands on his apron and quickly walked over to the counter where a cake had just been frosted for his master's snack. Checking to make sure the icing wasn't too sweet or too bitter, Ciel swiped a finger in the sweet substance and quickly shoved it in his mouth. His eyes fluttered at the taste; he was a true lover of sweet things. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Bard was still repairing one of the burned stoves before he used his other finger to take more icing. He was about to dip yet another finger into the sweet covering, but the sound of a bell ringing brought him back to the present. Taking the finger out of his mouth with a 'pop', Ciel took off his apron and hung it on a hook. He unrolled the sleeves of his dress shirt before donning his jacket.

Ciel walked out of the kitchen and made his way to his master's study. He couldn't deny he was a tad curious as to why the demon was calling for him at such an odd time. _Perhaps he has received a letter from the Queen?_ A thrill of excitement ran through the boy's body as he turned a corner to head towards the study. It would be nice to have something different happen to break up the otherwise monotonous routine Ciel had fallen into. The child butler paused outside of the double doors and knocked softly. "Pardon the disturbance," Ciel called out politely before entering. Sebastian was sitting in his office chair with a bored and slightly irritated expression on his face. Thrown off by the different facial expression, Ciel hesitated before fully stepping into the office. He turned around to close the door but found it to be already closed.

He suddenly became very aware of a presence behind him. He looked up to find a gloved hand resting on the door. Ciel whirled around to find his master smirking at him with the look in his eyes that was only present during his sex pet time. The boy gaped for a moment before he growled at the smirking immortal. "Master, why exactly did you call me here? I have work to finish, as do you," Ciel reminded him curtly. The red-eyed male frowned at the mention of work.

"I don't want to do it," he said in a childish tone of voice. Ciel blinked, totally thrown off by the man's uncharacteristic behavior, before he moved out of his vulnerable position. He walked over to his master's desk and looked at the stack of untouched documents. His eyes narrowed before he turned around to look at his frowning master.

"You haven't even started on anything! You do not have the time to be slacking off," Ciel scolded with disbelief. Sebastian shrugged his shoulders before leaning against the door.

"It is not my fault; my brain is lacking **stimulus**," he emphasized before his eyes took on their previous look. Ciel rolled his eyes and turned around to appraise the stack of papers. He took the first one off the stack and grabbed the man's feather pen. He dipped it in ink and walked over to his perverted master. He thrust the pen and paper into the demon's face.

"Regardless, it is my job as your butler to make sure you complete your work for the day. Look here; all you have to do is give your signature and you can begin operations in Germany-" Ciel was abruptly cut off when Sebastian grabbed the pen and paper from his hand. The demon's eyes scanned the document before he tossed both items to the side. Ciel clenched his fists and glared up at the stubborn man. "What do you think you're doing? Pick that up and stop acting like a child! For God's sake, you are over 500 years old…start acting like it!" Ciel shouted angrily. Sebastian ignored his servant's reprimand; he was too focused on other things...like his servant's face. Well, more specifically, the boy's lips. Ciel noticed the man staring intently at him.

"What? Is there something on my face?" he asked awkwardly. Sebastian smirked before leaning down to be face to face with the child.

"Not on your face…to be more exact," Sebastian paused and ran a gloved finger over the boy's plump bottom lip, "you have chocolate on your lip," he finished before taking his finger away from Ciel's mouth. Sebastian held up the slightly chocolate stained material before he proceeded to lick it. Ciel flushed at the gesture. When the demon was finished, he looked seriously into Ciel's eyes. "It seems as if someone was snacking instead of doing their own work…do you think you have the right to scold me when you haven't been doing your work either?" he asked in a teasing tone.

"I wasn't snacking!" Ciel retorted. Sebastian raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"Oooh?"

Ciel didn't even have time to respond. He was suddenly grabbed and whirled around so his back was touching the door. Sebastian tilted Ciel's face up and descended. Ciel squeezed his eyes shut and pushed against the other man's chest in an attempt to break the intrusive kiss. Sebastian snaked one hand around the boy's waist and pulled him flush against his body. Ciel's hands fisted into the material of the man's jacket when Sebastian's tongue forcefully parted his lips. Ciel's breath caught as his struggles and trembling increased. The muscle probed around the cavern, in search of what, Ciel wasn't sure. Sebastian's other hand threaded into Ciel's hair before it migrated to rest on the boy's reddened cheek. The demon broke the kiss. Ciel panted and gasped for air while Sebastian merely licked his lips to secure the taste of the other boy in his memory.

"It seems as if someone just told a lie to their master," Sebastian said slyly. Sebastian gently grabbed for the boy's ungloved hand and began to suck on the fingers the boy had dipped in the icing, causing Ciel to squirm in his master's hold.

"Nnn! Master…st-stop that. What is th-the…meaning of this?" Ciel asked with confusion. Sebastian released the digits to look at his shaking and flushed servant.

"Meaning? There is none really…you just taste so sweet. You don't mind if I have a little snack before afternoon tea, do you?" he asked before beaming at the blushing boy. Ciel's eyes widened when the hidden meaning behind the man's words revealed itself. He pushed against the man's chest to try and create some distance between their bodies.

"Absolutely not! If you have time to "snack", do your work instead! Besides, it's the middle of the day…" Ciel added as an afterthought. Sebastian tilted his head to the side as he mulled over his pet's rejection.

"And?"

_What do you mean, and? _Ciel thought with disbelief. Sebastian began to plant kisses on the Phantomhive's face and neck, causing Ciel to gasp and tremble even more in the man's hold. "A little mischief wouldn't hurt, would it? I just really want to devour you right now…if you allow me to indulge, I might be able to focus on my work," Sebastian bargained. Ciel stopped a moan from being released when Sebastian latched onto one of his sensitive earlobes. He didn't bite down on it; he merely licked and sucked on it. He knew Ciel would be angry if he were to cause him pain in such a sensitive place.

"Yaahah! A-Ahn…n-noooo…no master, th-the contr-AH! That w-would be going…aha! We can't!" Ciel cried out. By this point, Sebastian had been successful in untying the boy's tie and unbuttoning his suit jacket with his free hand. The other one was holding one of the boy's hands against the door. Ciel's other hand was clutching on to the man's clothing. Sebastian paused in his ministrations to look at his glaring butler.

"You really are too serious for a child…just relax my pet. You know I will take good care of you…if you would just lighten up a little, I am sure you will find this experience to be quite fun," Sebastian reasoned. Ciel shook his head and wiggled his hand out of the other male's grip. He pushed against the horny demon with little success.

"What…part of this is fun?" he asked with frustration. Sebastian smirked and used his knee to rub against the boy's crotch. Ciel's eyes widened as a small moan slipped past his lips. He attempted to close his legs as he clung onto the smirking demon. "P-Pervert! St-St-Stop, ah!"

"It seems as if certain parts of you are having fun…" Sebastian said huskily. The immortal tilted Ciel's head up and gently ran his hand through the boy's hair. Ciel swallowed unsteadily at the gesture; he could feel his will slowly crumbling. He was a young boy, so it didn't take much to get him "up". He growled and locked eyes with his master.

"F-Fine…but, ah…j-just a t-t-taste. There w-will…ooooh, th-there will b-b-be no devouring, nnn, got i-it?" he stated crossly. Sebastian smirked before engaging the blushing boy in a fervent kiss. Ciel hesitantly wrapped his arms around the man's neck when Sebastian maneuvered his hands around the boy's waist. They pulled away after a moment before instantly rejoining in a tongue-tangling kiss. Ciel whimpered and moaned softly when the demon nipped and licked at his full lips. He squeezed his eyes shut and hoped Finny wouldn't choose now to come looking for him to show him the new plants he bought. As if thinking the exact same thing, Sebastian slyly moved one of his hands to lock the door before resting it on Ciel's clothed cheek. The boy stiffened and pulled away from the kiss to glare at his smiling master.

"Wh-What…hah, hah, are you **doing**? G-Get your hand away from there!" he ordered. Sebastian's smile only widened and intensified before he placed his other hand on the opposite cheek. Ciel glared and moved to remove the man's hands from that area but was stopped by another one of his master's kisses. The boy rewrapped his hands around his master's neck when he felt his knees go weak. Ciel wasn't sure how this happened, but he found his legs wrapping themselves around Sebastian's waist, and now said man was carrying him over to his desk. With one hand firmly around the child's back, the immortal used his other hand to sweep his desk clear of its documents and other materials while simultaneously kissing his pet. He gently laid the child on top of the furniture and broke away from the kiss to let Ciel breathe. Before the poor butler could gather his wits, Sebastian latched onto his lips again. The intoxicating kiss successfully killed all thoughts of resistance.

The demon went to work on the buttons of the boy's vest and shirt. He was able to get to the last button of the boy's shirt before Ciel began to resist again. He broke from the kiss with a sigh and looked down at his flustered servant. "I-I said on-only a t-t-t-taste!" Ciel reminded him in a strained voice. Sebastian smiled reassuringly before kissing the boy's forehead. He parted the shirt so the boy's torso and chest were revealed to him. He bent down and licked one of the boy's nipples before glancing up at Ciel.

"I know…I am merely sampling all the flavors you have for me to taste," Sebastian murmured against the porcelain skin. Ciel's legs tightened against the sides of the man's waist as Sebastian nipped and sucked on the boy's quickly flushing body. Little moans slipped through the boy's kiss-swollen lips as he panted for air. He soon found his mind slipping into a lust-induced stupor. However, when Sebastian's hand migrated to the zipper of the boy's pants, Ciel knew things were going too far.

"Okay! Th-That's enough! Stop…r-r-right now master!" Ciel commanded. Sebastian smirked before coming up to be face to face with his butler.

"But Ciel, how am I supposed to sample all of your body's flavors if I can't even get to the best parts?" he asked innocently. Ciel growled and placed his hands on the advancing demon's shoulders.

"Alright, w-we are finished! Get…off of me," Ciel hissed. Sebastian smiled and brought one hand down to cup the boy's crotch. Ciel gasped as his entire body shuddered at the touch.

"But **this** has yet to finish," Sebastian stated smugly. Ciel's eyes widened as he pushed against the man. Sebastian smirked before moving to place another kiss on the boy's yielding lips.

"Master…"

**VROOOOOOOM!**

Suddenly, the door Sebastian had locked was completely split in half and kicked down with a loud crash. Both males froze at the sight of the sawdust cloud where the double door used to be. Ciel's eyes locked onto a red-haired man coughing and sputtering while stumbling out from the cloud. The man was dressed in black pants, a white, long-sleeved undershirt with a black vest over it, red-trimmed glasses, and a red coat that was too small for his shoulders, so it rested near the elbow area. He had bright green eyes and it looked almost as if the man was wearing eye makeup of some sort. Ciel's eyes migrated to the chainsaw held in the man's black-gloved hand. Another red-haired figure, this time a female, followed closely behind the weapon-holding man. She was dressed in a long red skirt, with a matching red coat that was currently buttoned, and a large red hat. Her lips were painted with red lipstick, and even her eyes were red! She glared at the man and whacked him over the head.

"How useless can you be? I told you just to be patient…now you've gone and destroyed a door to a perfectly empty room!" the woman scolded before crossing her arms over her well-endowed chest. The man rubbed the spot where the woman had whacked him and looked forlornly around the room.

"But Angelina, that cook told me…" the man trailed off when his green eyes locked onto the frozen males. He dropped the chainsaw he was carrying right onto the woman's foot before he widely smiled, revealing two rows of sharply pointed teeth.

"Seeeeeeebaaaaaaastiaaaan!" he suddenly squealed before launching himself at the raven-haired man. Sebastian released Ciel and skillfully moved out of the way. The green-eyed man collided into the wall with a grunt and a loud crash. Sebastian sighed and assessed the damage to the door.

"Grell Sutcliffe, what did I say about using chainsaws in my manor?" Sebastian asked tiredly before using one of his hands to pinch the bridge of his nose. The man now known as Grell removed his face from the wall and pouted.

"It's not a chainsaw; it's my death scythe! And," the man scooted closer to the frowning demon, "What kind of greeting is that? Didn't you miss me? We haven't seen each other in four months, but it feels like it's been forever!" the man whined before making love struck eyes at Sebastian. In the time Grell was talking to Sebastian, Ciel had removed himself from the man's desk and redressed himself. He glanced at the red-haired man and opened his mouth to ask a question.

"Who-"

"Grell! There are more important matters to discuss with Earl Michaelis," the woman began slowly. Ciel watched with widened eyes as she pulled the chainsaw out of a red-colored boot without any sign of pain on her face. She tossed the death scythe to the side and moved to stand in front of the pair, leaving Ciel all alone in the corner of the room. Her face darkened slightly before it suddenly lit up. She latched onto Sebastian's arm and gazed up at him with a sly facial expression. "Word on the street is you have a new butler and that you…you know…made him yours a couple of months ago," she whispered excitedly. Grell blinked before glancing between Angelina and Sebastian.

"Made him yours? What does she mean by that Sebby?" he asked with confusion. Sebastian sighed and removed his arm from the woman's hold. He ran a hand through his hair resignedly.

"Nothing at all Grell," he said somewhat soothingly before giving the woman a silencing look, "Madam Red, you really should refrain from gossiping so much. But for once, you do have some facts correct. I do in fact have a new butler. His name is Ciel Phantomhive, and he's standing in that corner over there," Sebastian pointed out nonchalantly. As if a steak was thrown in front of a pack of hungry dogs, both newcomers turned and raced towards the unsuspecting child. Sebastian sighed with relief as the attention was finally taken away from him. Ciel froze as the duo poked, pulled, prodded, and analyzed him for a few minutes. Madam Red finally leaned back with a delighted expression. The poor boy nearly died of a heart attack when he was suddenly grabbed and pressed to the woman's body.

"Oh! You are just too cute for words! No wonder such a rumor was spread about you two…I wouldn't mind making you mine too!" she squealed as she continued to squeeze the struggling Phantomhive. Grell growled and snatched the poor boy out of the woman's hold. He held the boy's face between his hands and pulled on it. He turned in Sebastian's direction with fire in his eyes.

"Hey! Why do you have such an un-cute butler?" he screeched with jealousy. Sebastian didn't even have a chance to defend himself. Madam Red grabbed the abused boy and whirled him around so he was facing the envious male. She glared at the red-haired man and used Ciel's body while she talked to accent her points.

"What do you mean un-cute? Have you seen this face? And that pretty cobalt-colored eye? His silky hair and unblemished skin? Just look at those legs and that butt," Ciel squeaked when the woman suddenly slapped one of his butt cheeks, "You are just jealous of him because he gets to spend more time with Sebastian than you," the woman said snidely. Grell screeched and looked close to tearing the smirking female apart. Ciel took his chance and finally tore himself from the woman's hold. Sebastian did his best at hiding his mirth for his servant's predicament. The boy glared at the red-eyed man out of the corner of his eye before he straightened himself out. He cleared his throat, drawing the redheads' attention.

"Wh-"

Madam Red gasped and laughed suddenly. Ciel looked at her as if she had lost her mind. She smiled cheerfully at the disgruntled butler. "How rude of me! I've totally forgotten my manners. I am Angelina Sutcliffe, but everyone calls me Madam Red. And **that**," she jabbed her thumb in the direction of the scowling man, "is my brother, Grell Sutcliffe," she added sardonically. Grell made a gasping noise before glaring at his sister.

"What do you mean by 'that'? Have some respect for your elders damn it!" he yelled defensively. Madam Red raised an eyebrow before smirking evilly.

"Elders? I wonder about that sometimes…" she said thoughtfully.

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm your older brother!" Grell proclaimed. Sensing that another fight was about to occur, Ciel quickly cut in.

"I wasn't going to ask who you were…although it is nice to meet your acquaintance. I am Ciel Phantomhive, the butler of this household. What I was going to ask was…**what** are you?" he questioned suspiciously. The fighting siblings paused and looked down at the curious boy. Madam Red glanced over at Sebastian, who had a knowing smirk present on his face. The demon sauntered over to the trio and locked eyes with Ciel.

"You really **are** insightful. These two are death gods, not humans," Sebastian responded calmly. Ciel crossed his arms over his chest; so he had been right. There was no way that those two were human. The boy glanced at the forgotten chainsaw before looking back at the gaping redheads'. Grell sneered at the human before placing a hand on his hip.

"Hmph! So he could see we weren't human…I still don't get why he's so special," he grumbled. Sebastian smiled charmingly at the red-haired male, causing the man to practically turn into a puddle of goo at his feet. He grabbed for Sebastian's hands and clasped them between his own. "But then again, if my little Sebast chose him, he must be special in **some** way," the death god said in a doting voice. Ciel blinked at the man's sudden change of attitude.

"Ewwww! Sebastian Michaelis, how can you allow for that…that **thing** to touch you?" a scandalized voice gasped from the destroyed doorway. The four inhabitants of the room turned to see Sly with an equally scandalized facial expression. Grell flipped his hair and ignored the newcomer's presence.

"Sebby, why do you allow for such a low-class demon to hang around you? I don't like him at all…" Grell said before pouting. Sebastian cocked his head to the side and smirked.

"I didn't think you would be bothered by such a low-class individual…" he said smoothly. Sly gawked and waved his hands frantically.

"Hello? I'm right here; don't insult someone when they are right in front of you!" he whined childishly. Madam Red looked down at the unfazed Phantomhive.

"Yes, I already knew that Earl Pestis was a demon as well. He's a pureblood, if you want the specifics," Ciel commented uncaringly, anticipating the death god's question. The woman blinked before a smile spread on her face.

"Did Sebastian tell you that?" she asked curiously. Ciel nodded and reached into the inside of his suit jacket. He pulled out the pocket watch and clicked the button on top. He checked the time and sighed. The butler replaced the clock and glanced around the room. Grell was now practically rubbing himself against Sebastian's arm, while Sebastian was purposely saying as many insulting comments as possible about Sly. Sly was having quite the fit while he yelled in Sebastian's ear.

It was the perfect time for Ciel to make his escape. The boy turned to the only calm person in the room and bowed politely. "If you will excuse me Madam Red, I have work that I must complete. I will return shortly with the afternoon tea," he said formally before straightening out. The woman blinked at the boy's professionalism before she slowly nodded. Ciel walked to the entrance of the room and moved to walk into the hallway.

"Uuuuuunnnnnncle Seeeeeeeebaaaaaastiaaaaan!" a voice squealed ecstatically. Ciel didn't know what hit him next. His tiny body was suddenly tackled by a ball of flower-scented energy. "Oh! I missed you soooooo much Uncle Sebastian!" the voice squealed again. Poor Ciel's body was hugged and rubbed upon for quite a while until Sebastian cleared his throat.

"Lady Elizabeth," he said sharply. The ball of energy turned girl paused and blinked with confusion. The blonde-haired girl looked over to see Sebastian smiling charmingly at her with Grell still latched onto his arm. She cocked her head to the side before looking down at the frazzled boy in her arms. The girl squeaked with embarrassment and released the slightly shorter boy. Ciel fell to the ground as he tried to absorb the shock of all the physical contact he just experienced at one time.

"Ah! Uncle Sebastian…I was wondering why you were shorter than me all of a sudden," she commented thoughtfully. Sebastian smoothly slid his arm out of Grell's grip and cleared his throat.

"Lady Elizabeth…"

"No!" the girl yelled out. She went to stand in front of Sebastian and smiled prettily, "Call me Lizzy, Uncle Sebastian, Lizzy!" she urged. Sebastian inwardly sighed.

"Lizzy…you really shouldn't call me Uncle Sebastian…" he said formally. Lizzy frowned before her face lit up again.

"It's okay! I don't mind calling you that a little ahead of time. You don't mind, do you?" she asked cautiously. Sebastian smiled and gently patted the girl on the head.

"Not at all…but perhaps the next time you greet me, you should pay more attention. I believe you tackled the wrong person today," he said charmingly. Lizzy blinked before turning to look at Ciel. The poor boy was still trying to get his bearings. Lizzy's big emerald eyes widened at the sight of the other child. She had never seen him before, but she thought he looked really cute, even though he was dressed in a servant's clothing. A faint blush developed on her cheeks before she focused her attention on Sebastian again.

"Who is he Uncle Sebastian? I've never seen him before," she asked with curiosity.

"He is my butler, Ciel Phantomhive," Sebastian said. At the mention of his name, Ciel's head turned in his master's direction. The demon smirked before he led Lizzy to stand right in front of the young Phantomhive. "Ciel, this is Elizabeth Middleford, daughter to the Marchioness, Frances Middleford. She is Madam Red and Grell's niece," he introduced. Ciel blinked at the upper-class girl in front of him. She was dressed in an ankle-length pink dress with black boots, black gloves, and a matching pink bonnet. Her hair was done in two large, spiral pig-tails. Ciel found himself slightly taken aback by her bright green eyes brimming with optimism and her sunny disposition. He could literally feel her happiness radiating off of her smiling face. Remembering his manners, Ciel straightened himself out and bowed formally.

"It is an honor to meet your acquaintance, Lady Elizabeth. As my master just stated, I am Ciel Phantomhive, head butler to the Michaelis household," he said properly. Lizzy blinked at the stone-faced boy in front of her. He was like the polar opposite of her. His mouth was set in a frown, his eyes, or visible eye was gloomy and dull, and he exuded maturity, exhaustion, and pessimism. She instantly decided right then and there to make the boy standing in front of her happy so that he could smile with joy too. Lizzy curtsied and introduced herself in the proper fashion before resuming her previous position. She locked eyes with the boy in front of her; they gazed at each other wordlessly for what felt like an eternity but could've only been a few seconds. A sniffle alerted their attention. Grell's green eyes were watering with unshed tears, and he had somehow moved beside Sebastian to clutch onto his arm again. The demon sighed and looked helplessly at Sly and Madam Red.

"Oh Sebastian, I'm so hurt! My cute niece totally ignored me, even though she hasn't seen me since-"

"Ha! Who would **want** to see something like you again? You're like a nightmare on legs," Sly said snidely before grinning maliciously. Sebastian shot the other demon a look, making the golden-eyed man pout. Madam Red patted the man on the shoulder before she whispered something in his ear. Whatever she said instantly brightened his mood. He pointed to the mess of papers and ink in front of Sebastian's desk and eagerly whispered something back into her ear, causing her to gasp and giggle. Sebastian rolled his eyes; leave it to them to start gossiping about people who were in the exact same room as them. Lizzy smiled reassuringly before she hugged the red-haired male around the waist.

"I'm sorry Uncle Grell. I didn't mean to make you feel bad…but I haven't seen Uncle Sebastian in a really long time!" she explained. Grell's tears instantly disappeared before he hugged the little blonde.

"You are forgiven; I could never stay mad at you or my little Sebast," Grell said in a reassuring voice. Sebastian softly smiled at the two. Ciel's mouth twitched at the touching scene in front of him. Feeling his mood instantly sour, the boy decided to leave the room. The butler briskly walked out of the room so as not to attract any attention. When he stepped out into the hallway, he breathed a sigh of relief. Being in a room with so many people had left him drained. Ciel checked his watch again and mentally calculated the time it would take to prepare afternoon tea for five people. He sighed again before replacing the watch in its rightful place.

_It's a good thing I ended up making such a large cake…if I divide it perfectly, everyone should get the proper portion amounts…_

Ciel walked away from Sebastian's study and made his way back to the kitchen. If he hurried, afternoon tea could still be served at the right time. He walked past several suits of armor and portraits before the hairs on the back of his neck prickled. He calmly continued on his way, but he was quite aware of the fact that someone was following him. The boy listened intently for the sound of footsteps, and he would occasionally glance over his shoulder. When no sound assaulted his ears, and no one presented themselves, Ciel grew even more suspicious. He didn't have any weapons on him at the moment, so he hoped whoever was following him wasn't an enemy of some sort. The butler resisted the urge to shudder at Sly's words from the night they left London.

_I wonder if Gregarious had a mate…_

The child's ears perked up when he heard the sound of metal. His eyes slid to the side; right next to him was another suit of armor. Ciel stopped walking and resisted the urge to smirk. In a nonchalant tone of voice he said, "I really wish I didn't work for Sebastian. He's so callous and boring…" Ciel began to walk again, "If only I could find someone who could meet my humanly needs…my desires. If only I could find someone to treat me like a lover…"

**CRASH!**

"Pick me, pick me, oh, pick me Ciel!" an excited voice called from where the suit of armor used to be. Ciel smirked and turned around to face Sly. The golden-eyed demon looked sheepishly at the scattered pieces of metal from the destroyed suit he had been hiding in. Ciel crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at the blue-haired immortal.

"How many times have I said this? If you are going to follow me without my noticing, stop hiding in suits of armor **and** stop falling for the same lines. Honestly, I truly worry about the state of Queen Victoria's safety if she has someone like **you** as protection," Ciel said boredly. Sly pouted before quickly rebuilding the suit of armor; it looked as if it had never been torn apart by an overexcited demon. The Queen's servant pointed to the suit before looking back at Ciel.

"See? Perfectly fine; and besides, you should know you are the only one whose lines I would ever fall for because you have stolen my heart, little Phantomhive," the demon said lovingly. Ciel rolled his eyes and turned away from the "love struck" immortal. Ciel was quite used to Sly's advances; it had become another part of his monotonous daily routine. When Sly came to either have private chats with Sebastian or just to visit, he would always try and woo the human child. When the blue-haired male had first expressed his feelings of infatuation for Ciel, Sebastian had been in the room. Ciel had been so shocked that he didn't know how to respond. But Sebastian did; the fact Sly was nearly put onto Sebastian's list of creatures to be exterminated and promptly tossed out of the manor hadn't deterred the cheerful being. He came back and continuously vied for the boy's affections.

"I do believe the little was unnecessary," Ciel mumbled with slight irritation. He would've continued walking if Sly hadn't planted himself in front of the dark-haired child. Ciel warily looked up at the demon. Sly reached for the boy's ungloved hand and kissed the top of it.

"Forgive me, 'mon amour' (1)," he said softly, causing Ciel to faintly blush. He swallowed unsteadily and pulled his hand out of the other male's grip.

"Whatever…Sly, I do believe it would be best if you returned to the master's study. I have to prepare afternoon tea and…" Ciel trailed off, allowing for Sly to fill in the blanks. The blue-haired man nodded.

"If Sebastian was to see us together, he could possibly exterminate me, wiping my existence from this mortal world," Sly finished for the boy. Ciel nodded, although he didn't agree with the 'together' part.

_He makes it sound as if I am having an affair with him or something. Are all demons so scandalous?_

"You know this, and yet you choose to continue pursuing me?" Ciel asked sharply. Sly shrugged before moving to the side to allow for the boy to pass. The boy did so and inwardly sighed when the man moved into step beside him. He really wasn't in the mood for the other man's flirting.

"I can't help but to pursue you. Your enchanting beauty, your refined grace, your sensual body, and your acute intelligence make you irresistible," the man said in a doting tone of voice. Ciel rolled his eyes at the compliments; he wasn't a woman, so the majority of the things the other man had just said only further soured his mood. Sly, sensing the boy's slowly darkening mood, quickly changed the subject. "Speaking of intelligence, how were you able to tell that the other two were death gods?" he asked with curiosity. Ciel turned the corner and thought back on the meeting with Madam Red and Grell. They had definitely left an impression on him that was for sure.

"I didn't know they were death gods…Sebastian told me that. But I could tell they weren't human because…well, they gave off an aura of someone who has witnessed death so many times that they have become numb to it," Ciel stated. Sly nodded and ran a hand through his hair.

"You definitely are one sharp child. You probably got that vibe from them because they **have **witnessed death so many times. It is their profession and hobby," Sly said flatly. Ciel walked briskly into the kitchen; Bard was no longer present. _He's probably looking for the confiscated flame thrower…at least I won't have to worry about him getting in my way. _The butler walked over to the cake and began to refrost it in hopes of covering up the tell-tale finger swipe marks.

"It's a death god's hobby to witness death? Does that mean Lady Elizabeth is a death god as well?" Ciel asked when he sensed Sly wasn't going to leave for quite awhile. It was hard for Ciel to believe that the bubbly blonde's favorite hobby was to watch people die. Sly nodded and perched himself on the counter beside the working butler.

"Well, Elizabeth is not a death god…she was born to a human mother, who chose to be mortal rather than be a death god for all eternity like her siblings, Grell and Angelina. As for death gods, it is a hobby they are quite passionate about. It's downright scary sometimes…but I guess that's why they hate our kind so much," Sly added as an afterthought. Ciel paused in his frosting activities to look at the thoughtful demon.

"Death gods hate demons?" he asked curiously. An image of the red-haired man clinging and looking at his master with loving eyes popped into his head. Sly yawned and stretched hugely before answering the boy's question.

"Indeed. And our race doesn't have a real liking for their type either. Always breathing down our necks…do you realize how hard it is to feed with a death god following you around? It's ridiculous! Their regulations are insane! They feel their anger is justified because we supposedly," Sly made air quotes and changed the tone of his voice so it sounded like he was talking through his nose, "'steal souls and hearts from people who are and aren't on the death list…blah, blah, blah!" Sly began to talk in his normal tone of voice again, "Who cares! All humans are going to die anyway. It shouldn't matter exactly **how** a human dies," Sly shook his head forlornly and looked down at the child who was scraping a knife against the frosted cake to even it out. "I swear Ciel, Sebastian must have a heart of gold and the patience of a saint," he said with a hint of admiration. Ciel glanced at the other male before going back to his work.

"Why do you say that?" he inquired. Sly paused and looked at the working butler with a shocked facial expression. Ciel moved from his position to go and turn the heat up on the water for the tea. He returned to his earlier post and found Sly was still staring at him like he was a ghost.

"What?" he asked with slight irritation. He picked up the knife and resumed working.

"You mean, he didn't tell you?" Sly asked with a stunned tone of voice.

"Tell me what?" the boy prompted. He only needed to even out one little section of the cake…

"That Grell Sutcliffe, a death god of all things, is his fiancée," the demon answered. The demon watched as the knife slipped and cut off the entire corner of the cake. The knife fell to the floor with a clatter, splattering the floor in chocolate frosting. Ciel froze as Sly's words registered in his mind; the word, fiancée, had really taken him by surprise.

"He has a fiancée?" he asked in a hushed tone of voice. Sly tilted his head to the side and swung his legs childishly.

"Yep! They've been engaged for…" the man paused to count on his fingers, "I believe it's been about three centuries now…two centuries and a half if you count the time Sebastian actually knew he was engaged," Sly said. When Ciel didn't respond, Sly continued speaking. "It's not an uncommon thing for an Earl to have a fiancée, and Sebastian definitely isn't an exception, even though he's a demon and all. Actually, it would be slightly odd if someone Sebastian's "age" didn't have one. People would gossip and speculate, you know? Of course, it is strange that he's engaged to another **man** but his position in society is so high that…" Sly continued talking, but Ciel blocked him out.

_He's engaged? He's going to get married…and he never told me? Why didn't he inform me of something so major in his life? I am his butler; I'm supposed to know about such things! Did everyone in that room and in this household know about this engagement besides me? Well, that certainly explains why Lady Elizabeth was calling him Uncle Sebastian and why Grell was clinging to him in such a fashion. When Madam Red introduced him, why didn't Sebastian say at that point, "Oh, by the way, he's my fiancée…he has been for about two and a half centuries now." I don't understand. Why didn't he tell me so I could have paid him the proper respects and congratulations? Was he trying to keep his engagement a secret from me?_

A jolt of realization shot through the boy's head, causing Ciel to clench his fists by his side. _That must mean Grell doesn't know about my…arrangement with him. That's why he told Madam Red to be silent about him making me his. Grell doesn't know I am his sex pet. He probably would've never known about my __**existence**__ if it wasn't for him barging into Sebastian's study today. I…I…I can't believe him! 'Demons can't lie' my ass! He's been deceiving me this entire time! He…He made me think…he made me __**feel**__ like I was the only person he had intimate relations with. Even though I don't enjoy the nights we spend together, what he's done is wrong! How many times has he lain with me and thought about Grell being in my place? How many times has he kissed me and imagined I was his fiancée? How many times has he fantasized about carrying his fiancée to his bed the way he carried me sometimes? He's probably been comparing and…and __**laughing**__ at me this entire time. _Ciel bit his bottom lip and bent down to pick up the knife.

His chest tightened as he looked at the object for a moment. The room heated up as his eyes prickled and stung. His bottom lip quivered as he shakily swallowed. Ciel squeezed his eyes shut and shoved his swirling emotions and thoughts down. He locked them away in a lead box and encased it in ice. _There's no need for me to get so worked up about this. To be honest, I don't really care. When I serve tea, I will give Grell my congratulations…just like a proper butler should._ He emotionlessly picked up the utensil and placed it on the counter. Sly continued to chatter away as the boy walked around listlessly. Ciel grabbed for a washcloth and cleaned up the chocolate on the floor. He then molded the cake in a way that perfectly balanced it. When the kettle whistled, Ciel went to it and prepared everyone's drink. He placed everything on the platter and exited the kitchen without a backward glance.

Sly could instantly tell something was wrong. He followed closely behind the silent butler and never spoke a word. The immortal observed the boy's movements. On the outside, he didn't look shaken. In fact, he looked completely at ease. When they reached the study, Ciel knocked on the wall because there was no door and called out his presence. Everyone was sitting by the fireplace; they all turned to appraise the newcomers. Sebastian's eyes narrowed slightly when he saw Sly standing beside Ciel. Sly put up his hands in a surrendering gesture.

"I smelled something sweet and went to go investigate. That's all that happened, I swear!" he said. Ciel rolled his eyes and stepped fully into the room.

"For afternoon tea today, I have prepared a German Chocolate Cake to celebrate my master's newest operations in Germany. I have paired the cake with Formosa tea (2), since this is an impromptu celebration of sorts," Ciel said formally. Lizzy squealed excitedly before smiling widely at the professional butler.

"I haven't had a chocolate cake in forever! Did you make it yourself Ciel?" she asked. Ciel nodded before making his way towards the group. Sebastian and Grell were seated together on one couch while Madam Red and Lizzy sat on another couch directly across from them. A mahogany coffee table was set between the two couches. Sly moved to sit in the lounge chair at the head of the table, facing the fireplace. "Wow! That's really amazing Ciel!" Lizzy said excitedly. Ciel didn't respond and wordlessly began to divide the cake. Not once did he look in Sebastian's direction. This caused the demon's interest to perk. He could tell something was off about his servant the minute he walked into the room.

Ciel moved around the table, dishing out the perfectly sliced dessert. He followed closely behind with the tea. The aroma from the drink caused Madam Red to nod appreciatively. She picked up her cup and daintily sipped it. She smirked before setting the cup back on its respective dish. "Wow Sebastian, you really have a quality butler. Even though he looks so young, he has the skill and knowledge of a pro!" she praised. Ciel placed Sebastian's cup down on the table before moving to stand beside the cart. Sebastian looked over at the child butler and smirked.

"But of course; if a servant of Michaelis couldn't do such things, where would we be? Ciel is no exception to that rule," he said proudly. Ciel glanced over at the smirking demon and locked eyes with the man. The ice around the lead box instantly melted, and the box itself shattered instantly. All the emotions the boy had locked away burst forth. Ciel internally fought with himself not to give away anything as he bowed humbly to the demon.

"Your praise humbles me…my lord," the boy said in a controlled tone of voice. Sebastian's eyebrow rose slightly when Ciel straightened out. The butler wanted nothing more than to burst out of the room…or bust in Sebastian's smirking face. He managed to control himself and looked over at the demon's red-headed companion. His emotions flared the moment his eyes locked onto the death god.

"Earl Sutcliffe," he called out suddenly. All eyes turned to look at the butler, including said man. Ciel nearly lost his nerve when everyone focused their attention on him. He swallowed his emotions and ignored the stinging in his eyes and the pain in his heart. "I just wanted to congratulate you on your engagement to the Master. You have my blessings," Ciel said evenly. He internally congratulated himself when his voice didn't shake. Sebastian looked honestly surprised by his butler's words. He looked over at Sly, who looked back at him with a blank facial expression. Grell cocked his head to the side before a huge grin spread on his face. He latched onto Sebastian's arm and moved closer to his side.

"Ooooh Sebby! How long has it been since someone congratulated us on our engagement? Well, regardless, it never gets old!" he said ecstatically. He pouted before looking up at the surprised demon, "But, I do wish we could get **wedding** congratulations, don't you?" he asked. Another sharp pain shot through Ciel's heart at the man's words.

_I don't care._

Lizzy clapped her hands and squealed. "A wedding would be absolutely lovely! Everyone would be wearing such pretty dresses and tuxedos…and I could buy a new dress just for the occasion! Don't you think a wedding would be lovely Ciel?" Lizzy asked. Ciel swallowed and turned to look at the bubbly blonde.

_I __**don't**__ care…_

"I am certain it would be quite an affair my lady," he said pleasantly. On the outside, the boy looked to be completely unfazed and disinterested by the conversation in the room. But on the inside, Ciel was slowly falling apart. He didn't understand exactly why he felt the way he did. All he knew was he needed to get out of this room…**now**. Madam Red smirked and looked at the two men on the other couch.

"Speaking of weddings, when **are** you two going to finally tie the knot?" she asked slyly. Sebastian blinked, slightly taken aback by the question, before glancing at his smiling fiancée. "Whenever we both feel the time is right," he said smoothly. Grell's smile widened before he leaned towards the male and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. The two females in the room giggled at the action, while Sly made a gagging sound.

It was like a bolt of lightning shot through Ciel's whole body from the gesture. His emotions swirled like a raging hurricane, causing his chest to tighten unbearably. Ciel opened and closed his mouth, trying to think of something to say, but he found he was at a loss for words. His heart pounded painfully while the room around him began to blur. He didn't understand why such a simple action was having such a big impact on him. Ciel had told himself **repeatedly** that he didn't care. He had prepared himself for any romantic gestures he would see…and yet, a foreign sensation was developing in his eyes, his face was slowly reddening, his bottom lip was quivering, and his throat was tightening.

All from a kiss on the cheek.

Realizing that he was about to lose his composure, Ciel backed away from the group and adjusted his head so his bangs were covering his eyes. With a quick excuse to exit the room, the upset boy hurriedly walked out. Sebastian was instantly on alert after witnessing his servant's exit. The demon turned and smiled pleasantly at the red-haired man. "If you will excuse me, I have some business I need to attend to. I will only be gone for a fairly short amount of time," he said before removing himself from the other male's hold. Grell frowned but allowed for his fiancé to leave the room.

Sebastian walked out into the hall and watched Ciel's retreating back. The butler took a turn to the right, clearly heading back to the kitchens. The demon frowned and followed his servant's path. Ciel sensed someone was following him; he slightly increased his pace. He really didn't want to see anyone at the moment. The boy wasn't sure what had just happened, but he was quite aware of the fact he was emotionally unstable. In less than a few seconds, Sebastian was only a few feet away from the blue-eyed child. The demon quickly closed the distance and reached for Ciel's arm.

"Don't you dare touch me," Ciel hissed hostilely. Sebastian's hand paused in its path. Judging by the sound of the boy's voice, it sounded as if the child was close to tears. Curious as to why his stoic butler was so upset, the raven-haired man grabbed the limb and turned the servant to face him. His blood-colored eyes widened at the sight. All the emotions that cause someone to break down were present in Ciel's eye: pain, anger, humiliation, sadness, confusion, and hurt. What weren't present in the boy's eye were tears. Ciel's eyes narrowed before he harshly ripped his arm out of the older male's hold. He clenched his fists and resisted the urge to punch the shocked man in his perfect face. "**What** do you want? What can you **possibly** need right at this very moment?" Ciel asked viciously.

Ciel nearly screamed with shock when the pale immortal grabbed his face and crushed his lips to his own. Sebastian worked his lips in a way that made Ciel like putty in his hands. The boy's eyes fluttered shut as a warm feeling spread throughout his body. Being kissed by Sebastian was always an amazing experience…even if he wasn't a big fan of the man himself. Feeling his knees go weak for the second time in one day, the boy clutched onto the material of Sebastian's expensive coat. The demon smirked; Ciel was instantly shocked back to the present. First of all, he was being kissed by a man he hated. Secondly, this man was his master and one of the most evil beings on Earth. Third, he was **engaged**. Anger coursed through his veins as Ciel suddenly shoved the man back.

Ciel's hand would've connected with Sebastian's face if the demon wasn't, well, a demon. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at the boy's attempt to hit his master. The man's hand wrapped tightly around Ciel's wrist, causing the butler to wince. "It appears as if I have not trained you in the proper ways to treat your master," Sebastian said. His eyes flashed dangerously but Ciel didn't back down. He glared defiantly into the immortal's eyes.

"I am not an animal, so you can't **train** me you bastard!" he retorted. Sebastian smirked before his eyes narrowed; an amused look filtered into the orbs.

"Oh? Is there really a difference?" the demon asked mockingly. Ciel's eyes flashed before he wrenched his hand out of the other man's grip. He huffed as his emotions reached their boiling points. His eyes narrowed before the butler sneered at the master.

"You should know because you used to be an "animal" too. If I remember correctly, you were once a human yourself. Heh, you really stepped up in the food chain. You went from being an animal to every demon's lackey. How does that feel, **Halfie**?"

**SMACK!**

Ciel was struck speechless, literally. The boy reached up a trembling hand to his quickly reddening cheek. He turned his head back to the front to face his angered master; the force of the slap had snapped his head to the side. The boy's blue eyes widened at the look of pure fury on Sebastian's face. The furious facial expression quickly morphed into a look of pure satisfaction, although his eyes held nothing but contempt and rage. The man adjusted his glove so it was resting perfectly on his hand. He smirked at his stunned butler. "I do believe I told you that word was a derogatory term employed by **Pureblood **demons. You, my **human** pet, are not a demon and never will be. You are merely a weak, worthless, and troublesome human whose soul will be removed **slowly** and **painfully **for my feeding needs. That is the only reason I am keeping you around; however, I am seriously wondering if your soul is even worth it anymore. It is pointless to take it when the person doesn't even **remember **anything about themselves. Remember your situation: Your parents are **dead**, you have no memories, no real home, and no one who loves or cares for or about you. You are alone and pitied; but do not fear Ciel. Your **soul** will be devoured with the utmost pleasure. So at least you will be useful and wanted for once in your pathetic and worthless life…well, besides when you are acting as my lovely little **whore**," Sebastian said in a calm and almost cheerful tone of voice, as if he was complimenting the child instead of tearing him apart.

The blood rushed to the boy's head and pounded in his ears as his eyes began to burn. His cheeks reddened in anger and slight embarrassment at showing how affected he was by the other man's words. His heart thumped painfully as his breathing became shallower. He opened and closed his mouth in a vain attempt to say **something**, but it was almost as if the immortal had smacked the words right out of his mouth. Ciel's throat tightened, cutting off his ability to breathe. A crushing weight made Ciel feel as if he was going to die right then and there. The room seemed to disappear from around the distressed child, leaving the dark-haired butler feeling as if he was floating in nothingness. He felt overwhelmed, humiliated, **devastated** by his master's words. Ciel knew he had been crossing the line when he had spoken that forbidden word, but he couldn't control himself. He had been so fixated on Sebastian's secret engagement that he hadn't thought about what he was saying. And now, he had learned the truth. Sebastian didn't care for him; he only wanted to devour his soul, and even **that** looked as if it wasn't enough for the raven-haired man. Every word Sebastian had said had been true; Ciel could see it in the demon's serene eyes.

_I knew it…_

The sight of raw hurt slowly appearing in the boy's eyes snapped Sebastian out of his angered state. He inwardly winced as his mind replayed the words that had just spewed from his lips. Perhaps he could've reworded some of his phrases a tad bit differently; it was clearly too much for the already emotionally distressed boy. Sebastian hadn't left the room with the intent to fight with his butler; he had only wanted to know the reason for the boy's odd behavior. Instead, he had only made Ciel feel worse…

"Ciel, I-"

"You're a monster," Ciel said lowly. Sebastian's eyes widened as the boy's shining eyes locked with his own. His whole body was starting to shake, but not a single drop of water developed in the orbs. "You get angry at **me**, yet **you** were the one who was keeping a secret! If anyone has the right to be angry, it's me damn it!" Ciel's voice cracked; he swallowed unsteadily and pushed on, "Why didn't you tell me you were engaged? Did you not think I would find out? I'm supposed to know these things! I'm your butler, and you kept one of the most important facts about your current life a secret from me. Do you realize how **humiliating** it is to hear something like that from someone else? You should've told me but instead, you deceived and used me whenever you pleased while secretly stringing along your clueless fiancée. Did you have fun having sex with me and then going off to your fiancée to spend an intimate night together? Did you get some sort of sick pleasure from imagining Grell in my place? You're a **cheater** master! I may not know about my past self, but I do know cheating is one of the lowest things someone can do to someone else. Even if you're a demon, I would think you would have some sort of morals. And even now, you continue to lie to your fiancée and have the **nerve** to kiss me! Are you fuckin' insane?" Ciel sniffed and fought to keep his voice steady.

"I can't believe you would do this to me…to your fiancée! You're such a coward master. You may not be **man** enough to tell your fiancée about the other parts of our contract, but I refuse to be caught up in your lies. I am not your closet whore or a secret mistress. You have to make a decision: either tell the truth or continue with your web of deception. In other words, it's either me or him. If you want me to fulfill my part of the contract as your…pet, then you **have** to tell Grell about **all** parts of this contract. If you decide to continue to lie, then I refuse to "serve" you. I will still serve as your butler, partner, and fellow hunter, but I will **not** have sex with you. You can't kiss, touch, or do anything intimate to me **ever** again. I do not care if the pain in my contracted eye causes me to faint or lose my mind, I **will not** be your pet. So what will it be?" Ciel asked.

Sebastian was honestly astounded. His **servant** was giving **him** an ultimatum. It was official; Ciel was completely different from his other pets. The demon couldn't remember the last time he had been told off by a human. It shocked the living daylights out of the immortal. He gaped at the upset child, not sure how to respond to the boy's demands. Ciel took Sebastian's silence as the second option. Ciel's heart clenched at the man's unspoken choice; he should've known his words wouldn't be enough. Sebastian was a demon after all. It was probably in his nature to do things lacking morals. Ciel's trembling increased as waves of emotions flooded his consciousness. The boy took a moment to get control of himself; he couldn't allow for Sebastian to know how affected he was by his choice. Ciel gazed up at his master one final time with dull and cold eyes.

"Now that that has been cleared up, I have work to finish…I now have five people to serve dinner to, and I have to prepare rooms for them. I also believe it would be in your best interest to return to your company. It is quite rude to keep others waiting. So, if you will excuse me, master," he said in an emotionless voice. Sebastian opened his mouth to speak but Ciel didn't give him the opportunity to say a single word. He turned and walked quickly down the hall, never looking back at the confused and shocked man he left behind.

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(1): **Presenting my lack of language skills! Lolz, I don't know a word of French, so if this is wrong, please let me know so I can fix it. ^-^' I used an online translator that came with Word. So anyways, mon amour means, 'my love' in French, hence the blushing! ^-^**

(2): **Formosa tea is known as 'the champagne of teas'. It is an oolong tea produced in Taiwan. It's other name is Formosa Oolong. For those who are confused about oolong, I will do my best to explain about tea and its types. Alright, so tea is dried and processed leaves of a certain plant called camellia sinensis. There are three major varieties of tea, and all of them come from the same plant (the camellia sinensis). These varieties are: The China (which has small leaves and grows in higher altitudes), The India or Assam (this has larger leaves and grows in lower altitudes), and The Hybrid (which like its name suggests, is in-between The China and The India). Now, the way these varieties of the same plant are processed produces different types of teas. The four main types are: White Tea, Green Tea, Black Tea, and Oolong Tea. The way you get different tasting teas, like Chai and such is by adding different oils, combining the four main types of teas, or by adding different fruits and spices during processing. So there's a brief explanation of tea and its types. I hope that I didn't confuse anybody! ^-^ **

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**J-C: There it is everybody! The 13th installment and the first chapter of the new arc for this story!**

~Sasuke~ Way to be dramatic J-C...

J-C: Well, I told you guys that there would be DRAMA.

Naruto: *checks the last chapter* It's true...she even capitalized it.

~Sasuke~ *rolls eyes* Whatever...

J-C: Well anyway, what do my readers think? Did you like the little switcharoo I did to fit in brand new characters? I did my best to keep everybody IC so I hope I was able to do that. I would type a lot more in this ending note (mainly about how sorry I am to have deleted my other two stories), but I'm still a little tired from waking up super early during the past week. So forgive me for this short ending note. I hope everybody enjoyed this chapter so much that they choose to leave a review. Please? I really need some reviews to improve my mood...even if it's only one word, it will make me feel so much better since I'm feeling slightly depressed at the moment. Just don't flame me...I will flame back, but I will still feel really bad since I haven't gotten a single flame since I've been on this site (so thankies to everybody for that as well!). I'm gonna log off now...hopefully I feel better when I post the 14th chapter!

Ja ne for now! ^-^

P.S. Hi everybody! ^0^ I just wanted to advocate for one of my buddies at school who has just gotten started on this site (this is the same buddy who commented on when I had 80+ reviews earlier on in this story). Anyhoo, she's a really amazing writer...but she has hardly any readers. T_T She doesn't post for fandoms or anything...she produces her own original stories and yeah. So I just wanted to ask for some of my readers, when you have the time, to check out some of her stories. I will provide a link to her page on my profile, and you can check out her stories. I promise you guys, you won't be disappointed! ^-^ And please leave reviews for her (like you hopefully will for me! Please? ^-^)! Thankies for giving her a chance, and also for reading this additional note! ^-^

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*anonymous person who didn't leave any name*: **Thankies so much! I'm really happy to hear that you like my story so much! Lolz, I'm glad to hear that you like the ridiculous amount of detail I put in nearly every chapter. But I'm really psyched to see you so psyched for the next chapter! I will do my best to update as soon as possible! Thank you for complimenting my story and for leaving a review! Both are very much appreciated! ^-^**

lilly (Chapter 11): **Lolz, well I figured it was the least I could do...I mean, I didn't update for nearly 3 weeks...so I must as well post two chapters! ^-^ I'm glad to hear that you like Chapter 11 so much! Ciel has always been the brave type to me (have you seen Episode 7? That just proves it to me ^-^). I'm happy to hear that you could get some entertainment out of the fight scene. I worked hard on it to make sure it was realistic and such, so thanks for appreciating my effort! Happy reading; thanks for reviewing! ^0^**

anna: **Hmmm...that's a very insightful statement. Actually, it makes a lot of sense. Thanks for sharing such an intriguing thought with me! ^-^**

Miko: **It's totally okay! Besides, I posted both Chapter 11 and Chapter 12 on the same day...so I wouldn't have gotten reviews for Chapter 11 anyway. ^-^ Lolz, but I'm happy to see that you're so dedicated to my story that you actually feel badly about not checking back on it. It was totally my fault anyway; I didn't update for nearly 3 weeks, so I decided to have 2 updates in the same day...so seriously, you have nothing to be sorry for. *hugs* Teehee, thanks for the compliment on my action scene writing skills. I took a lot of time making sure that it wasn't just pointless gore, and I wanted to make it exciting at the same time...MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! ^-^ Oh my goodness, I love Vampire Knight! ^-^ Ah, Kaname...Zero... *squeals* Ahem, sorry...anyhoo, I honestly didn't relate the whole hunter thing in my story until you mentioned it...but it's pretty koolio now that you mentioned it! *busts out laughing* Oh my goodness! That is too funny for words! I can totally imagine Sebastian throwing a pokemon ball and Ciel popping out in his hunter attire. Thank you for that entertaining image! ^0^ Trust me, my taste in video games is probably 10x more lame than yours, I guarantee it! ^-^ I'll help to clear up your confusion; when Sebastian (and now Ciel) hunt down beings, the being that is being hunted has to meet all 3 requirements in order to be lawfully exterminated. And they aren't always going to be the 3 reasons that Sebastian came up with for Gregarious. The reasons will definitely vary...there are LOTS of them. Teehee, I'm doing my best to keep them IC...so it's great to hear that I've been able to successfully add a romantic element to their relationship without comprimising their personalities. ;) *takes bullet instead* Lolz, that's koolio that you got that connection. I'm such a geek when it comes to anything concerning the Black Plague (seriously, I wrote a 10 page research paper and did a 5 minute presentation on it, and I was happy to do it xD). Lolz, *gives thumbs up* that's an EPIC name! I love me some Jealous!Sebastian too! It's one of the parts of his personality that I long to see. ^-^ I will update as soon as I am able; if you happen to miss it (which I highly doubt you will ^-^), that's totally koolio! And as for the AloisxCiel thing...I'm not really a "fan"...I'm just a fanservice whore! Anything that involves two hot (or in this case, adorably cute) bishounens will grab my attention. But nope, I am a loyal SebaCiel fan to the end! ^-^ Thanks for your review and for sharing your thoughts with me! ^0^**

Ailea Creed: **Ahaha, okay then! And that's totally koolio; I lose my mind quite frequently...just ask my friends! ^-^ Teehee, I'm glad to hear that you liked both chapters. *shudders* Ugh, I did not have any fun writing that part...it was just...ew to me. I feel the exact same way; it seems like only creepers say baby, so that's the main reason why I had Father Gregory say that to Ciel. ;) Whoa, that's really kool! It excites me that you were so pumped up during those scenes; that's exactly what I wanted to happen too! ^0^ *bows* Thank you very much. My creativity totally went into overdrive when I started thinking about the whole hierarchy thing (even though it only hit me when I was typing a completely different scene, lolz! xD). Lolz, that's a pretty good comparison...I just might pass out if I even think about a stripping Sebastian... *nose begins to bleed* CRAPPERS! xD You and I both chica! Perverted fangirls unite! ^0^ I'm sure you and Sly would have some very interesting (and highly perverted) conversations. ;) *gasps* Of course I won't stop! I will do my best to update as soon as I am able! Thanks so much for reviewing! ^-^**

lilly (Chapter 12): **Thanks for saying that; I'm glad to hear that you like where this story is going! ^-^ Teehee, well I am #1 in surprising people, so that's probably carrying over into my writing as well. Ah, Sly; he's my comic-relief/Sebastian's cockblocker character...if he wasn't in here, I'm sure this story would have a completely different mood. I totally agree with you! Just because demons are stereotypically evil and vicious creatures doesn't mean that they can't be happy and funny! Hence, the creation of Yersinia Pestis (aka Sly). ^0^ Oh my goodness, that would be so EPIC if Yana Toboso created a character like Sly. *winks* I couldn't resist slipping a little bit of fluff to wrap up the end of this arc; I loves me some fluff! ^-^ Thank you for reviewing both of my chapters; I will update as soon as possible! ^-^**

Zozo-CHan (Chapter 11): **Awww! I'm glad that you enjoyed it so much! I worked really hard on it, so thanks for appreciating my effort...and also for reviewing again! ^0^**

Zozo-Chan (Chapter 12): **Teehee, who doesn't? Sebastian x Ciel together are just too cute for words! Glad that we (and probably every fangirl that knows about this show) agree! Thanks for reviewing both chapters; I'm really happy you did that! ^-^**

Kuro Neko-chan (Chapter 11): **Hooray for being so pumped up for my double update! *hugs* ^0^ *smirks* Of course Sebastian's sly...he IS a demon (and a very smexxi one at that ;D). Awww, I've had that image in my head ever since I typed that line. Seriously, I can imagine Ciel in a frilly little white apron with a white kerchief on his head... *squeals at the cuteness* Gosh, I really need a doujinshi artist to draw a doujinshi featuring Wife!Ciel and Husband!Sebastian. Ahem, sorry about that. ^-^' Hmm...Undertaker is a mysterious one. He always seems to know things that are gonna happen before they happen. Lolz, I actually wrote this and even I don't know how he knew! ^0^ Teehee, you and me both chica. Sebastian would totally pwn us when it comes to his precious little pet. ;) *smirks* Oh yeah...but then again, what Ciel doesn't know won't hurt him...it will only please him in the end! Okay, sorry about that! Anyhoo, I'm not a big fan of Jack either (and I created him)...but he's supposed to be the villain that you hate with a passion...so he's somewhat necessary. Lolz, we must remember, he IS an evil serial killer. He gets sick pleasure from doing such things to people. Ahaha, that is so true; Sebby can be such a drama queen sometimes! xD *laughs nervously* Yeah, I kinda figured that would happen...hence the double update (or at least another reason as to why I updated this story with two chapters instead of just one ;D)! Ah, you are sooooo lucky! I'm back in school now, and my body is STILL trying to adjust to getting up that early...but at least you feel my pain. ^-^ Lolz, same for me too! I went to bed so late sometimes, my parents thought I was insomniac...I was just busy writing and making vids and such. ^-^ *nosebleeds at the image* Gosh, Sebastian is too sexy for his own good! Yes, have your tissues ready, because when I get to that chapter, it's definitely gonna be a tear-jerker! *sniffles at the thought* Ahaha, that's pretty epic about your younger sister! I'm kinda starting to act like Sebastian now too...he just has that alluring effect on us! xD Gosh, I REALLY wanna watch that movie...stupid school! Lolz, that's an interesting debt system you guys have! Maybe I should try it with my sister. ;) Awwww! *hugs* You're so kind! Have fun with Chapter 12; thanks for leaving such a nice/long review! ^0^**

Kuro Neko-chan (Chapter 12): **Hello again! ^0^ *gives a high five* My sentiments exactly! As if Gregarious could pwn Sebastian the sex. He's the sex damn it! ^0^ Ahaha, I agree wholeheartedly with you; my fangirl side was very pleased when I wrote that little scene in. ;) Whew! Glad to hear you like my hunter idea! I thought about it at the beginning of this story, but then I thought there wasn't a good place to slip it in, so I kinda gave up on it. Then I started writing this arc...and the Hunter!Sebastian came to be! ^0^ Lolz, that's so true; poor Sebastian probably has contracts stemming from centuries ago that he totally forgot about...he's like me (minus the centuries part xD). *gives thumbs up* Trust me, I would love to see them both with guns drawn on paper...too bad I'm a terrible artist...but I'll settle for the mental image! ^-^ *bows* Glad that you're so impressed with my writing; I worked super hard on that scene to make it as heart-pounding and exciting as possible, so I'm glad that you read it not once, but twice! Yay, I'm relieved/happy to hear that the hierarchy was interesting. I was worried that people would be bored with it or be confused...so it's great to hear that you liked and understood it! ^-^ Yeah, I kinda wanted to turn the tables a little with Sebastian's position...I just thought it was kinda boring how he was ALWAYS the strongest one...so I made him the weakest! It makes it much cooler when he defeats opponents that are stronger than him too! As for Claude, we shall just have to see. ;) Peeshaw, I probably would've committed suicide right then and there if that had happened to me. Heh, my sadistic side had fun writing that out. ;D *smiles* I couldn't resist slipping a little bit of fluff at the end of this arc; my fangirl-that-loves-fluff side was very pleased when I typed that. ^-^ Hey, that's koolio; I'm just glad that I know I got one word correctly in Latin! *throws festive confetti* Whoa, you're in medical school! That's so koolio; I can understand if you forgot about Yersinia Pestis...there must be a lot to study. As for Kuroshitsuji 2, I have both songs on my iPod...I've played the opening nearly 65 times! xD The amount of fanservice should be a crime! Or at least they should tag a little -ai at the end of shounen (it might as well be). I think we will never hear the triplets talk...which is sad because I bet they would've had smexxi voices. I think Episode 7 (won't spoil it!) will help to clear up some things! ;) In conclusion, I'm glad to hear that you liked the last two chapters and the whole arc in general! *raises glass of apple juice* Heres to a new arc! Can't wait to write it out and post it for you and all of my other readers! Thanks for reviewing both of my chapters with long/lovely reviews! I love you very much right now! ^0^ *huggles***

sakura: **Yay! Thanks for complimenting my story like that! I will do my best to update as soon as I can! Thank you for leaving another review! ^0^**

Shirogane-san: ***smiles* I'm really happy to see that you enjoyed both chapters so much! I try to make all of my chapters vary in some way that way this story doesn't become boring and predictable. Ahaha, glad to see that you liked the fight scenes; it took me a while to write both of them because I'm a perfectionist like that. ^-^ *gives high five* I wholeheartedly agree with you chica! Any group with Sebastian is made of total win! ;) *cheers* Yay! FINALLY someone caught that! Lolz, I was trying to reenact the corset scene when I had Sebastian healing Ciel's shoulder...I think you're the only person to catch that. So congrats on that! ^-^ *gives e-cookies and a hug* Teehee, Sly is just too loveable! You can't help but to NOT like him; he provides comedy in this otherwise smex and violence filled story! ^-^ *pats head* It's okay...it took me awhile to admit that Alois was pretty epic...you'll come around...but I still loves Ciel too! ^-^ Ahaha, don't be scared. I haven't gotten to the level of sadism that Alois has...I don't have any urges to poke out any eyes...yet. O.o Lolz, just kidding! Seriously though, don't be frightened! ^0^ I will do my best to update as soon as I can! Thanks for reviewing...and as for Lizzy, *takes a deep breath* I HATE HER! The only character I've ever hated, I swear... Thanks for letting me get that out too! ;)**

tabby-chan: **Oooh, French! Lolz, thank you! I'm glad that I could please you with my updates! ^-^ I will definitely continue to work hard for you and all of my other readers. Thankies for reviewing! ^-^**

melianstorm: ***hugs* Yay! I'm so glad I didn't kill you; welcome back (even though you didn't really leave xD)! Lolz, that's a good point; why have one scoop of ice cream when you can have two? Oooh, now I want ice cream...ahem, anyway...I'm glad that you liked the arc! I think I'm gonna have 3-4 more before this story ends...but they will most likely be longer than this one was...this story is gonna be loooooong. *apologizes in advance* Teehee, well I am known for being #1 in surprising people, so I'm glad that I could surprise you as well! I love doing things like that! ^-^ Hmm, yep! Ciel is totally gonna be owning every foe in his way...along with his smexxi demon master by his side! ;) Lolz, that mental image is oddly amusing to me...I can totally see Satan doing that! ^-^ Yes, goodbye annoying Jack the Ripper! *waves bye* As for Sly...I don't think this is the last we're gonna see of him. I really like him a lot...plus, he's my comic relief guy! He brings the funny to this story! ^0^ Wow...that saying is SPOT-ON when it comes to Sebastian! I'm totally adding that to my favorite quotes book/list! ^-^ Thanks for your well-wishes and for reviewing; I'll do my best to provide you and my other readers with a quality update! ^-^ Oh my goodness, that's amazing! I'm so touched that I could do that for you...I really hope it goes well for you! You've got to let me know when you post that so I can read it some time! Best of luck to you! ^0^**

AllenNlavi: **Me too! That's probably the main reason why I started writing this fanfic...my frustrated fangirl side wanted some serious SebaCiel love. ;) Jealous!Sebastian is too epic for words to me. Teehee, my fangirl side was squealing with delight when I slipped in that little kiss scene; but I couldn't resist, so I'm glad that you liked it too! Yay, I'm glad to see that Sly finally rubbed off on you...in a good way! Lolz, you and me both. I can't stand that guy...and I even created him. But then again, he did make you want Sebby to kill him even more, ne? I'm glad that I could make you react in such ways though; that's my goal...I want my readers to feel something when they read. I find its more enjoyable when you can actually empathize (I know that's spelled wrong xD) with the characters and the situations they're put in. Oh my goodness, this is sooo epic! You do mind theater stuff too! Lolz, I thought I was the only person that did that! Awwww... *huggles* I'm so sorry that I didn't update on time! But I'm glad that you appreciate my effort to make it up to you and my other readers by doing a double update. ^-^ Thanks for being so understanding too; now that school is back in, updates might be less frequent...but I will still try to update on some sort of schedule. ^-^ Lolz, thankies so much for your kind words, well-wishes, and for this review! Your mind theater brightened my day! ^0^**

demon's lil angel: **Oh my goodness...those reasons actually make sense! Ahaha, it's slightly ironic that Sly thinks he's Sebastian's best friend! I think the first one applies more to Sebby's hate than the second one...you will see why in later chapters. ;) Hooray for finding my story and liking it! I'm glad that you like my story and the direction that it's going! Hope to see you more as this story progresses! Thanks for reviewing! ^-^**

MsFluff: **That's totally koolio! I'm just glad that you found it and liked what you read! Whoa...twelve hours? Were you reading my fic for that long...if you were, whoa! That's pretty amazing, lolz! It's great that it caught your eye in such a major way. ^-^ Ahaha, I'm such a geek; I laughed when I thought of that being Sly's real name. :P Teehee, I sure do! Google has become my best friend ever since I started writing this fic! ;) Thanks for appreciating my research efforts; I'm trying to make this story as accurate as possible since I'm somewhat of a realist. I will update as soon as I can! Thanks for reviewing and for liking my story! ^0^**

SebaCieLuver (Chapter 11): **I loves me some irony! Ever since I learned how to use it properly, I've been trying to slip it into nearly everything I do/write. So way to catch that! ;) I'm glad to hear that you liked this chapter so much! Have fun reading Chapter 12; thanks for reviewing! ^0^**

SebaCieLuver (Chapter 12): ***hugs back* You're welcome! I want to thank YOU for reviewing both of my chapters; that's very much appreciated! ^-^ I'm glad that you liked the amount of action I put in Chapter 12! Oh yeah, Hunter!Sebastian and Hunter!Ciel are totally gonna kick some supernatural ass! *punches air excitedly* Teehee, it's great that you like the demon hierarchy; my worst fear was that it wouldn't make any sense, so it's a relief that it did! ^-^ Well, at that time, I had lots of time on my hands and since I was so inspired, writing those two chapters was actually pretty easy. Thanks for appreciating my effort! Ah, Alois...he really knows how to spice up this season! Teehee, I thought it was kinda funny how it looked like he had boobs when he was wearing Hannah's outfit. ^-^ Sebastian is definitely showing more emotions in this season than in the 1st one...which I'm totally cool with...especially when they are sweet ones aimed at Ciel *remembers when he held out his hand for Ciel and pulled him into his arms* Okay, before I die of pure fangirl-induced happiness, I'm gonna give you a hug *hugs* and a thanks for reviewing! See ya buddy! ^0^**

witlee: **Oh my goodness, you think so? Wow, that's such a compliment...I'm really happy right now! Thank you for saying that! Lolz, if I had thought of Sebastian and Ciel first, then maybe all of those things could've happened...too bad Yana beat me to it. ^-^ But thank you for saying such kind things. I hope I don't disappoint you with Chapter 13. Thank you for reviewing and for making me feel really happy and special! ^-^**

s e r a f i n a: **Oh dear...good thing it was the good type of heart attack! I wouldn't want to kill you, lolz! ^-^ Oooh, I would kill to see a pic of that...there's something close to that in the manga (I think it's Chapter 31 or 32...gah, I can't remember!), only they don't have guns. Teehee, I'm glad you noticed that! I find that people's bodies are how you can truly tell someone's emotions for someone else. Like, you can lie with your words, but you can't lie with your body. ;) Glad you think I'm still keeping Ciel IC; I'll work hard to keep it that way. ^-^ Yay! I can't wait to see them; lolz, good luck with Claude...I'm sure he'll look epic when you finally get him down! ^-^ Oh my goodness...ALOIS! *breaks down in tears* I swear, I wanted to punch Claude in the face...Alois is freaking bleeding to death at his feet, and he's too busy thinking about Ciel's soul (although his 'jizz in my pants' facial expression was priceless). I'm gonna cry if they kill off Alois; it's too soon! I love the little sadist! T_T Ahaha, but you're right; he still looked good in the end! ;) I know right! I didn't think that it would happen literally one episode later...that's messed up man. Oooh, I love that song (gravity)! You are totally right! I'll have to check out the other one. Ahaha, that's how it is for me now too! It's such a hauntingly sweet song that I'm hooked to it! Thanks for recommending that one (My Love), for your new recommendations, for your kind compliment (I'm sure SOMEONE is better than me when it comes to writing Kuroshitsuji fics...but thankies for saying that!) and for reviewing again! All of those gestures are very much appreciated! ^-^**

One hell of a fanfic: **First off...love the name! Lolz, I'm loving how people are coming up with different puns involving One Hell of a... *gives a high five* I'm glad that you think I captured Kuro's overall mood. I tried really hard to make it as true to the manga/anime as possible...while simultaenously twisting it to work with a completely different plot. So thanks for appreciating my efforts! ^-^ I hope you enjoy the rest of the fic as much as the first chapter! Thanks so much for your review! ^0^**


	14. The Dance

**J-C: *wipes brow* I've done the unbelievable you guys...**

**~Sasuke~ You actually didn't act like a dobe for a few days?**

******Naruto: You understood things in your math class for a change?**

**J-C: What the...are you guys saying I'm stupid?**

**Naruto: Noooo...**

**~Sasuke~ Yes**

**J-C: Gosh, you guys are so mean...but what I meant by performing the unbelievable was...I UPDATED ON TIME EVEN WITH SCHOOL BEING IN SESSION! Guys, do it...**

**~Sasuke~ *sighs before throwing a kunai at a balloon holding confetti***

******Naruto: HOORAY FOR J-C! *throws streamers in the air***

**J-C: Thanks for the celebration you guys...but thank YOU GUYS (talking to my readers now) for 500+ reviews (518 to be exact)! Do you guys realize what this means? I'm halfway to one of my ultimate goals! ^0^ I'm so happy right now that even the thought of going through another week of school can't even bring me down! ^-^ Seriously, my readers just have to be the most supportive and kindest of them all, I swear! Thank you guys soooo much for helping me reach such a milestone! ^-^**

******Naruto: Well, that's just wonderful J-C!**

**J-C: I also wanted to thank one of my readers and school buddies too! You guys (once again, talking to my readers) should thank her too! Because of chels15, One Hell of a Master is being updated on time! ^0^ She literally reminded me every day that I had work to do when I got home. She constantly asked me when I would update and that if I didn't do it soon, I was gonna have hell to pay, etc. It's thanks to her dedication and consistent asking that I buckled down and spent the majority of my free time writing this chapter instead of doing absolutely nothing. So seriously, you guys have chels15 to thank for Chapter 14 being posted when it is (which is actually on time!)! ^-^ And on a completely unrelated note...WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED IN EPISODE 8 AND 9? I want to punch Claude so much in the face...but he's just so wickedly evil that I love him for it...I'm so conflicted. I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen the latest episodes but ugh...I need to see Episode 10 NOW! T_T**

**~Sasuke~ Well, isn't that just great? How about you actually get to introducing this chapter? You do have school tomorrow...**

**J-C: *sighs* Alright Sasuke...Cue the Disclaimer and the Warnings!**

******Disclaimer: Ahem, I would like to formerly announce that I do in fact own Kuroshitsuji- *sees flashing police car lights* in my dreams! MY DREAMS I SAID!**

******Warnings: For this lovely chapter, we have violence (the gore is back ladies and gentlemen...bleh xD), language, sexual thoughts/implications, and that's it! ^-^ Hmmm...my warnings seem shorter than normal...**

**J-C: And because I'm trying to be more detailed when it comes to my school work, I'm gonna clear up things here so there's no confusion! So thoughts/things in dreams look like this (**_Thanks so much chels15!_**), emphasized words look like this (I actually understand math...for now), or like this (_Crappers on Biology for a B on my first quiz..._), sound FX look like this (POW!) or like this (_BANG!_), regular dialogue and stuff looks like this (**School is such a drag sometimes...**), (XXX) stands for scene/time changes, and anything with a number behind it has extra information at the bottom of the chapter (**Demon (1)**). Alrighty, is everybody ready to start reading? Then without further ado, I present to all of my readers Chapter 14 of One Hell of a Master! Enjoy your reading experience! ^0^**

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**Chapter 14: The Dance**

Sebastian was frustrated…

In all senses of the word.

Frustrated is defined as a state of dissatisfaction, being thwarted in one's endeavors, having unfulfilled thoughts, feelings, or desires, and the act of feeling frustration.

Sebastian felt all of those…to the nth degree.

Ever since his and Ciel's **huge** fight, that feeling had been tagging along in Sebastian's mood and work ethic. The demon hadn't had sex in over two weeks…two weeks! That in itself was enough to drive the immortal crazy. Not only that, Grell decided to spend the rest of the month at his manor, claiming that they needed to spend more time together if they were going to have a successful marriage. Clearly, the death god wasn't right in the head, but because Madam Red **insisted** (also known as blackmailed), Sebastian had no choice but to make room for both of the beings. Because he was forced to spend more time with Grell, he didn't have any time to even attempt to talk to Ciel about their fight. To make matters worse, the Queen had decided to send a letter asking for his "assistance" in dealing with a case involving young girls being kidnapped and becoming underage prostitutes.

The **last** thing Sebastian needed was any case involving something to do with sex.

Seriously.

Even the thought of that word drove the demon crazy. He couldn't concentrate on anything; not his work, his hunting, his public image…anything. But regardless of his current state of frustration, Sebastian still accepted the Queen's newest request (not that he really had a choice). And that's how Sebastian Michaelis found himself in a clothing store in the heart of London during the busiest time of the year.

The worst part was he couldn't even share his frustrations with someone. Ciel had found a clever excuse to avoid traveling with the immortal, claiming if he left the manor in the care of the other three servants, they wouldn't have a manor to return home to.

_Alright, so maybe he does have a point about that…but did he __**really **__feel it was necessary to invite __**those**__ two?_

No sooner did Ciel deny an invitation to travel to London, he quickly "advised" for Sebastian to invite his fiancée and future sister-in-law to act in his place. The demon was now being dragged from shop to shop in search of clothes and designs he didn't care about. He couldn't even pronounce some of them! The weird stares Sebastian got from the commoners when he walked reluctantly with Grell on his arm weren't helping his mood at all. His thoughts kept drifting to having someone else by his side…not necessarily clinging to his side…just walking beside him. Or at least attempting to keep up with his longer strides without giving anything away.

Sebastian was truly beginning to hate his strong sense of observation.

His innate observation skills easily picked up how Ciel was keeping his distance from him. Not physically; that would be impossible, considering how the child was still his butler, fellow hunter, and partner. No, it was on a much deeper level than simply walking in a completely different direction when the boy saw him coming, or physically pushing him away (although he did occasionally do those things as well).

Ciel had mentally and emotionally distanced himself from his master. Sebastian's ability to sense Ciel's mental presence had diminished significantly since that brutal exchange of words. It truly took Sebastian by surprise when Ciel didn't come to his room for two hours like he was supposed to; the pain he must feel from disobeying the contract must be unbearable. The demon had also picked up the distance between them by merely looking into the boy's eye. Although they were nothing like Lizzy's shining orbs of joy, Ciel's eye used to hold a hint of **something**. But now, it was cold, dull, and lifeless…just like Ciel's personality.

Sebastian frowned as he continued to think about his butler. Even though he still made snide remarks, the teasing and even the bite from his words were gone. It was almost as if he didn't have the heart to engage in normal activities anymore. Sebastian knew the other servants had picked up on something as well; they even directly confronted him to ask if he had any idea as to why Ciel was acting so strangely. He had merely told them it was a phase, pointing out that the boy was at the age where his body would undergo drastic changes, therefore affecting his mood and behavior.

However, the fact that Madam Red and Grell, who hadn't even known the butler for very long, were noticing something was wrong peaked Sebastian's interest…and feelings of miniscule guilt.

_Perhaps I went slightly overboard with my comments. Clearly, there was a more tactful way to state the words I spoke. But it does not matter now anyway; what's done is done. I, better than anyone, should know that there is no use mulling over the past because it can never be changed._

Sebastian's frown deepened at his final thought. The immortal refused to take **full** responsibility for how things transpired between him and Ciel. The boy had skirted the line of the master-servant relationship by attempting to hit him; he had leaped boundlessly over it when he had called him a Halfie. Sebastian had every right to both hit and put the preteen back in line. Just thinking about the other boy's words was further souring the pale man's mood.

"Sebastian! Come on, we need your opinion!" Madam Red practically shouted in the demon's face. Sebastian blinked before his eyes were assaulted with an orange-red hurricane of fabric. He cocked his head to the side before giving the woman a skeptical look.

"Who exactly are we shopping for again?" he asked with a hint of teasing. The red-haired death god rolled her eyes before fingering the cloth with a loving look.

"It is a beautiful color; it really shows a woman's daring and bold side, yet it also suggests a love of fun things and mellowness," she said with admiration. Perhaps it was because Sebastian was a male and a demon, but he was completely lost. To him, it looked like the type of material that not only hurt someone's eyes, but also attracted too much attention. Both reasons were negatives considering the reason behind this shopping trip. The raven-haired man looked at the fashion-absorbed woman with a skeptical look.

"I repeat, who exactly are we shopping for again?"

Madam Red sighed with exasperation before going to replace the bolt of cloth on the rack, muttering something along the lines of 'men' and 'no appreciation for a woman's sense of fashion'. Grell bounded from the rack and nearly drowned the poor man in cloth. "Grell," Sebastian said calmly, "this is see-through," he finished patiently. The dramatic man grinned widely, revealing his razor-sharp teeth.

"I know…but isn't it the most beautiful thing you've ever seen? It's made from chiffon and was made in France! Oh Sebastian, we should go to Paris for our honeymoon!" the death god exclaimed excitedly. Several shoppers stared weirdly at the flamboyant man before they continued with their own shopping.

"Didn't we just go to Paris two nights ago?" Madam Red called out from a circular rack of pre-made clothing. Grell frowned before glancing in his sister's direction.

"Yes…but I want to go there for non-work related reasons. And," a coy smile formed on the man's face before he sauntered over to the emotionless demon. He pressed his body to the demon and reached up to wrap his arms around Sebastian's neck. He positioned his lips by the immortal's ear and whispered seductively, "perhaps I can wear a little something made from that, hm? What do you think Little Sebast?"

**CRACK!**

"OW! MADAM!" Grell screeched as he held his head from where the other death god had whacked him with a hanger. A look of irritation was clearly present on the woman's face while Sebastian did his best to hide his relief at not having to answer that question.

"Honestly Grell, you can be such an embarrassment sometimes. Don't you know you are not to discuss such things like the wedding night with your fiancé? Even though your relationship is socially improper, you still should behave like a respectable individual," the woman scolded. Grell scowled before pushing his glasses further up his nose. He flipped his hair and looked to the side.

"Hmph! As if I care what society thinks," the male death god grumbled moodily. Madam Red smirked before crossing her arms over her chest.

"You will when people start calling you a whore," she commented snidely. Grell squawked indignantly at his sister's response. Sebastian jolted as if he had been shocked by an electric current; his mind was instantly jerked back to his word choice during his argument with Ciel.

_Okay…I should have worded my thoughts in a __**completely **__different way…_

Trying to push thoughts of the child's hurt-filled eye and quickly bruising cheek out of his head, Sebastian's eyes roamed the clothing store. From what he could see, which was quite a lot even though his senses were at their dullest forms, there wasn't anything particularly special. They had been shopping for **hours**, hoping to find the perfect cloth or pre-made outfit. But every store came up short. There was something specific the demon was looking for…he wasn't sure why he was being so picky about such a trivial matter, but he just felt he **had** to do this perfectly. Sebastian's eyes stopped their roaming when something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He focused on that object and instantly knew it was the right choice. The coloring was perfect; the way the dress was styled was in a way that was slightly revealing, but still left plenty to the imagination and with the right corset, could really bring out a person's figure.

Even with the death gods' loud arguing, and the stares of the other customers at the group, Sebastian smirked™.

**XXX**

"_NO! Don't come any closer to her!" a man yelled out. Ciel's eyes widened in shock as the familiar looking man was grabbed by the hair and thrown to the ground._

_**CRUNCH!**_

_Bile and a suppressed scream rose in the boy's throat at the sight of an unidentified man crushing the other man's skull beneath his boot._

_**Father!**_

"_Vincent! Oh God, please no!" the woman wailed. Ciel's breathing picked up as his heart began to race at an alarming rate. Her screams and cries increased in volume, causing Ciel to cover his ears and squeeze his eyes shut when he heard a broken sob shortly followed by a strangled plea for mercy. He peeked out and nearly vomited at the sight of a woman's broken and still bleeding body on the floor._

_**Mother!**_

_Unbearable heat suddenly filled the area, causing Ciel's eyes to water and his throat to burn. Acrid smoke quickly filled his breathing passages, making the boy think he was going to suffocate. He watched as the flames licked and scorched the two adults' bodies. Fear overtook his senses, causing him to retreat further back from his current position. He wanted to get away from this heat…this blinding light._

_Hands gently carried him away from the fire and the burning corpses. He was enveloped in darkness, more suffocating then the flames. Bright light blinded him, illuminating his naked body. Several comments and the sound of coins being exchanged filled the silence. Darkness surrounded the dark-haired child. Suddenly, a searing pain cut off all coherent thought. Warm and precious liquid pooled on the floor. Ciel's eyes widened in horror when he saw it was blood…__**his**__ blood._

_The darkness continued to shroud Ciel's world in its midnight depths. Strangled wails and cries could be heard all around the boy, almost like the sound of tormented souls. More pain, more blood; an endless cycle of torture._

_The feeling of something cool on his back instantly alerted his attention. His eyes widened at the sight of a glint of metal. A dagger was poised and ready for the finishing blow. Ciel held up his hands in a vain attempt to protect himself. They were instantly held down. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. He watched in horror as the knife slowly descended, right before-_

"NOOOOO!" Ciel screamed desperately. His eyes snapped open as he bolted up from his bed. His heart was currently lodged in his throat, making it difficult for him to breathe. The child butler clutched the sheets to his chest as his eyes darted fearfully around his bedroom. He gasped and panted desperately for air.

Ciel was confused as to why he had woken up like this. The boy glanced at the door and breathed a silent sigh of relief when no sound was heard in the hallway. For the past two weeks, Ciel had found himself awakening from dreams he couldn't remember that caused him to scream and panic. The first time it had happened, the adult servants had come rushing to his room and busted in with their respective weapons. When Ciel calmed down enough to explain that he was alright, the trio plus Tanaka retreated. The second time it happened, his fellow workers came running to his aid without their weapons. When it happened again, Ciel wouldn't allow for them to come into his room. His pride was taking a major beating by allowing for Maylene, Bard, Finny, and Tanaka to see him in such a state.

Ciel released the sheets and buried his sweating face in his hands. He wasn't sure how much more torture he could take. Keeping to his promise, the boy hadn't been fulfilling his duties as Sebastian's pet. The unbearable and mind-numbing pain originating from his contracted eye kept him awake from the hours of 12 am to 2. Then, when he would finally be able to fall asleep, he would quickly wake up screaming bloody murder. It annoyed Ciel to no end that he couldn't even remember the dream he had that caused such reactions.

The fact Grell and Madam Red had decided to stay for the rest of the month certainly wasn't helping matters any. Ciel had been unfortunate enough to sometimes catch the two immortals engaging in intimate acts together. Images of the red-haired death god and his master kissing one another filled Ciel's mind. A sharp pain stabbed his heart, and Ciel quickly banished those images from his mind.

_He made his decision, so I am just going to have to live with it. Besides, it's better this way. The whole butler and sex pet thing was improper anyway. Also, I now know I was being deceived…being his whore was not what I wanted anyway…_

But even though Ciel told himself that repeatedly, it didn't quell the hurt in his heart. The butler inhaled shakily before reigning in his emotions. It was time for him to start his day.

**XXX**

Ciel yawned for the umpteenth time before rubbing his eyes. Bard watched the sleep-deprived servant from the corner of his eye. He wanted to ask if the boy was alright or if he would like to take a break, but the blonde stopped himself. Ciel would just get angry with him. But Bard couldn't help but feel slightly worried for the dark-haired child's health. Dark rings had formed under his eyes, giving the boy's face a haunting look. His tiny body was becoming thinner because he was eating less at meals, and his movements were slower and sloppier. Lately, he had been distancing himself from everyone, and when asked if he was alright, he would reply with a curt, "Fine" and quickly walk away.

The smoking cook's eyes widened when Ciel reached to add filling to the crust of the pie. He wasn't reaching for pie filling though…he was about to stick his hand in a pot of boiling water. "Hey! Watch out!" Bard cried. Ciel jolted and quickly jerked his hand away from the pot. He had been so tired that he hadn't been paying attention to his actions. If Bard hadn't called out to him when he did…

"Honestly, you need to pay more attention. Are you sure you're alright?" Bard asked as he made his way over to the child. He placed a gentle hand on Ciel's shoulder, causing said child to flinch and stiffen. The boy shrugged the man's hand off of him and yawned again.

"I'm fine…I'm just a little tired is all," Ciel responded. A silence developed between the two males before sharply being broken by a ring. Both servants glanced over at the board of bells, and Ciel paled at the location the bell was ringing from. A confused look formed on Bard's face as the bell continued to chime over the sign, 'Master Bedroom'. He glanced at Ciel and blinked at the sight of the sickly pale color of his skin.

"Hey Ciel…are you **sure** you're okay? You look like you've seen a ghost or something…" a thought popped into the American's head, "Is there something going on between you and Master Michaelis?" he asked curiously. Ciel froze at the mention of the other man's name. He inhaled and crushed all emotion before looking up at the curious adult.

"No. Nothing at all," Ciel responded tonelessly before turning to exit the kitchen. The truth of those words left the boy feeling like the pie crust he had abandoned on the counter.

Empty.

Ciel knocked purposefully on the door to his master's room. He was a tad curious as to why he was being called to this location in the middle of the day. Sebastian bid him permission to enter, and Ciel did so rigidly. He closed the door behind him before he turned to face his demon master. "You called for me?" he asked professionally. Sebastian nodded before turning away from the open window. He coyly smiled at his emotionless servant before walking towards the boy. Ciel felt slightly uncomfortable as the other man continued to come closer. He instinctively backed up to the door when Sebastian came even closer. The demon stopped a few feet from the child and smirked playfully. Ciel's eyes widened when Sebastian suddenly bowed and placed a hand over his heart.

"May I have this dance…Ciel?" Sebastian asked captivatingly before extending his hand to the shocked butler. Ciel's jaw dropped at the other male's words.

_Is he freaking serious?_

"Wh-What?" Ciel stammered uncertainly. He eyed his master's extended hand as if it was a weapon of some sort. Sebastian softly smiled at the confused child.

"Those words are customarily spoken when one person asks another to dance with them. I am asking you to dance with me," Sebastian explained patiently. Ciel's heart thumped at the look in the other man's eyes. To dance with someone was a very intimate act; it was almost like having sex with clothes on. It required trust and a certain attachment to the other person in order for the dance to be flawless and to actually mean something. He swallowed unsteadily, forcing his heart to calm down, before he glared at the smiling immortal.

"Why don't you ask your **fiancée**? I am sure he would be more than **happy** to dance with you," Ciel stated menacingly. A small smile formed on Sebastian's face as he straightened himself out.

"You see, I am afraid I may have lost touch with my dancing abilities. I haven't danced in such a long time that it would be quite embarrassing to ask my fiancée if I didn't have the proper technique and such," Sebastian said. Ciel rolled his eyes and turned away from the other man to exit the room. He opened the door and glanced back over his shoulder.

"I am sure even if you step on his feet a few times or you miss a step or two that Earl Sutcliffe will still love you unconditionally," Ciel commented emotionlessly. Sebastian placed his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

"As a butler, is it not your job to ensure your master's image remains respectable? What would become of the Michaelis name if I attended a party and demonstrated my lack of dancing skills to the public?" Sebastian asked slyly. Ciel paused and silently cursed the demon and every person in the upper class who actually **cared** about such a trivial matter. Ciel scowled before forcefully closing the door. He turned to face his smirking master and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Doesn't dancing require a man and a woman?" Ciel asked irritably. Sebastian nodded once. Ciel clenched his fists and glared up at the man.

"Where in this room do you see a woman?" Ciel questioned indignantly. Sebastian chuckled before raising an eyebrow.

"I guess we will just have to pretend there is one," he said good-naturedly. Ciel motioned to the close door.

"Why don't you ask Madam Red? It would make things so much easier!" he asked incredulously. Sebastian tilted his head to the side as he contemplated a response.

"She is known for her gossip…she might let it slip that the head of the Michaelis household lacks in the dancing department," Sebastian responded smoothly.

"I don't even know how to dance," Ciel quickly shot back. Sebastian shrugged his shoulders uncaringly.

"Then I guess we will just have to learn together."

Ciel growled as his options quickly ran out. A serious look formed on the immortal's face. "It is only one dance…" Sebastian added. Ciel threw up his hands in exasperation.

"Fine! **One** dance…that's it! I swear, if you tell anyone about this, I will not hesitate to kill you," Ciel finished threateningly. Sebastian smirked and nodded. He resumed his earlier position and extended his hand to his frowning partner.

"Then…may I have this dance, Ciel?" Sebastian asked softly. A faint blush developed on Ciel's cheeks as he slowly nodded. When the boy made no further moves, Sebastian's eyes traveled to his extended hand. Getting the hint, Ciel swallowed unsteadily before hesitantly placing his hand in the other man's. When the demon lightly gripped Ciel's hand in his own, it was like an electric shock had traveled through Ciel's whole body. He had forgotten what it felt like to be touched by the other man. Sebastian gently pulled the boy closer to him. Ciel resisted at first but eventually relented. This was technically breaking the deal they had made when Sebastian had chosen to continue lying to his fiancée. Dancing was a very intimate act and required much touching between the two dancers.

Ciel felt as if he was being burned by the other man's hands. He hadn't been touched by Sebastian in such a long time. "Now, if I remember correctly, you place your hand…here," Sebastian guided Ciel's other hand to rest on the left part of his chest, "and I place my other hand…here," Ciel jumped as Sebastian's scorching touch settled on his lower back. Sebastian gave the shorter male a questioning look, and sighed when Ciel continued to stare straight ahead. "In order for this to work, the female, or in this case you, must look at your partner," Sebastian said smoothly. Ciel stiffened before looking up at his master.

"Is this better now?" Ciel hissed with agitation. Sebastian's eyes softened as he looked fully at Ciel's face. He was pleased to see his cheek had healed beautifully from the time he had hit him. His big eyes made him look more pretty than handsome, and those wonderfully soft and plump lips were begging to be kissed. Sebastian's eyes migrated away from that area and roamed over Ciel's cute button nose before locking with Ciel's wavering blue eye. For the first time since their fight, there was actually something flickering in their depths. Ciel's heart stopped when the man locked eyes with him. When was the last time he had looked in Sebastian's eyes?

"Much," Sebastian said huskily before pulling Ciel a little closer, causing a blush to settle on Ciel's cheeks. He cursed himself for getting wooed by Sebastian's words and frowned moodily at the demon.

"Okay…now what?" Ciel asked grumpily. A thoughtful look developed on Sebastian's face before he cheerfully smiled. The butler inwardly groaned and predicted the answer to his question.

"I have no idea. I was hoping to just go with the flow and hopefully remember based on feeling and such," Sebastian responded charmingly.

Bingo.

Ciel rolled his eyes at the expected answer. Sebastian smiled alluringly and held a little tighter onto Ciel's hand. "Well, let's see what happens, alright?" Sebastian asked. Ciel frowned but reluctantly nodded his head. Sebastian slowly stepped back, clumsily followed by his butler. Sebastian moved a little to the right, and Ciel stumbled after him. When the demon attempted to turn them in a circle, Ciel remained planted in place, forcing Sebastian to pull the boy after him. Sebastian stepped forward at the same time that Ciel did, and the two males collided. Ciel was assaulted with the scent of the other man. It was so intoxicating…Ciel felt his mind go hazy from the smell of ink and musk. Reluctantly, Ciel untucked his head from Sebastian's chest. He looked up at Sebastian, who frowned down at his dancing partner.

The demon sighed. "You really don't have a dancing bone in your body, do you?" Sebastian asked tiredly. Ciel squawked indignantly before glaring up at the demon.

"I told you I didn't know how to dance! Besides, I am dancing as the female…when would I ever do that? And you are too tall for Pete's sake!" Ciel complained crossly. Sebastian cocked his head to the side as he looked at his frowning partner.

"Well, as the male in this case, it is my responsibility to lead. You, as the female, must **trust** me and follow my lead…you can do that, can't you?" Sebastian asked. The word trust slightly threw off the shorter boy.

_As if I could trust him! After all he's done…_

"Now, shall we try again?" Sebastian asked with finality. Ciel sighed and reluctantly moved a tad closer to the other man. The demon smiled and slowly began to dance. Ciel threw all caution to the wind and allowed himself to trust Sebastian; he figured the sooner they got this right, the sooner he could get out of here. But by trusting Sebastian, he accidentally released all of the emotions he had been keeping locked up for the past two weeks. The demon looked down at his partner as more emotions filtered onto his face and into his visible eye. When he felt his mask of cool indifference slip, Ciel looked away from the man and rested his head against the man's front.

They moved slowly in a circle and side to side, just trying to get used to the feeling of the other person. It was indescribable how amazing it felt to Sebastian to hold his butler again. It was almost like he was getting a high from being able to finally touch Ciel. For Ciel, being held only caused him to feel indescribably hurt. This would definitely be the only and last time he would ever get this close to Sebastian again. He relished in the feel of his master's strong and sinewy arm on his back and savored the smell of Sebastian. He could feel himself falling again; it frightened him to no longer have a hold on his emotions. His hand on Sebastian's chest gripped onto the material as his feelings from the past weeks bubbled to the surface.

"You feel different…" Sebastian whispered. Ciel blinked and looked up at his master's face.

"Huh?" This time, Sebastian noticed the dark purple-black rings under his servant's eyes and the thinness of his features.

"Have you been eating your meals? You feel thinner…and you look as if you haven't slept in days," Sebastian commented. Ciel growled before looking to the side.

_That's because there's a feeling in my stomach that won't allow me to eat as much as I used to…I can't sleep because of dreams I can't remember, and this stupid contracted eye…_

"Che, it must be your imagination. You're becoming senile in your old age," Ciel commented snidely. Sebastian frowned before gracefully releasing, slowly twirling the boy, and bringing him back to him. Ciel was shocked by the change of positions; his head was still slightly spinning after he was twirled. He felt a little sick so he squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth. Sebastian silently noted the boy's reaction to sudden movement as they continued to romantically dance. "You could've at least told me before you did that," Ciel mumbled. Sebastian chuckled before he brought the hand with Ciel's held in it close to his face.

"My apologies…but dancing is all about spontaneity," Sebastian murmured before he pressed a kiss to Ciel's hand. The boy gasped at the motion but found himself incapable of tearing his hand away. The man's lips on that patch of skin set his entire body aflame, and he found himself thirsting for those lips to be kissing his instead. Ciel instantly banished that thought the minute Sebastian removed his lips from his hand. Sebastian locked eyes with Ciel's and was thoroughly shocked by the myriad of emotions he found. Sebastian's orbs lidded as he led the child in a circle. Ciel burrowed his face in the man's chest.

"Ciel," he whispered gently. Ciel's heart pounded, his breathing became shallower, his head spun, his mouth went dry, his throat tightened, and his eyes stung…

All from Sebastian calling his name.

Ciel squeaked with shock when Sebastian suddenly dipped him. He tore his hand from the other man's grip and clutched onto Sebastian's neck. The sudden drop nearly gave the poor boy a heart attack; he had been honestly frightened by it. Sebastian didn't move as he held the trembling boy. Ciel's face was reddening as he breathed harshly through his open mouth. Sebastian slowly moved closer to his startled partner until his face was in line with Ciel's, inevitably pressing his body to the boy's.

"Forgive me," Sebastian finished tenderly. Ciel's heart completely stopped beating at the man's words. _How many times do you plan on stopping my heart? How many times are you going to do this to me?_ He slowly opened his eyes and revealed his vulnerability to the other man, something he vowed he would never do. The demon was shocked by the open facial expression and the sheer amount of emotion present on his butler's normally indifferent face.

"Master…" Ciel breathed out in a tearful voice. He felt light-headed, and the room looked like it was spinning. The only thing he could focus on was Sebastian's face, which was slowly coming closer to his own, and the feeling of the older male's hand on his upper back, which was pushing him closer to the advancing male. It took a few seconds for Ciel's muddled mind to figure out that the demon was attempting to kiss him. The boy smirked and closed his eyes to stop the spinning, which was making him sick to his stomach. He shut off his emotions and buried them deep inside.

"Heh, it looks like you deceived me again. You are quite the dancer, almost as if you have been practicing from the day you were born," Ciel said in a humorless tone. Sebastian paused at the boy's words. When no more movement occurred, Ciel frowned. "If you would be so kind, I would like to be standing straight again," the boy continued. The demon frowned before gently bringing the boy back into an upright position. Ciel moved out of Sebastian's hold and stepped away from the man. Sebastian gave the boy a calculating look.

"What did you mean by, 'deceived again'?" he asked curiously. Ciel shook his pounding head and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you for the dance…I will excuse myself now," he said formally before straightening out. Things were slightly blurry now; thinking he was about to cry, Ciel quickly turned to walk out of the room. Sebastian followed closely behind.

"When did I deceive you?" Sebastian pressed again. Ciel rolled his eyes and gritted his teeth.

"Oh, I don't know…just the whole, 'I have a fiancée, but I will just let my butler find out from someone else,' thing," Ciel answered snappishly. Sebastian sighed and shook his head.

"You are still angry about that? What do you expect me to do?" Sebastian asked. Ciel stopped walking as he felt suddenly nauseous. He swallowed the feeling in order to answer his master's question.

"Nothing. You already made your decision. You chose your fiancée and to continue down the path of lies…a path I do not intend to follow," Ciel responded before he took an unsteady step forward.

"What? But Ciel, I-"

Ciel didn't hear the rest of his master's statement. Without warning, Ciel fainted. Sebastian barely caught his butler before he dropped to the floor. The demon's eyes widened as he held the unconscious boy in his arms. Ciel's face was deathly pale, and his skin temperature was dropping rapidly.

"Ciel…Ciel!" Sebastian called out. He lightly smacked the boy's cheek to try and wake him up. When the boy didn't respond, Sebastian's mind went into overdrive. The demon placed Ciel gently on the ground and softly turned the boy's head to the side, that way his tongue wouldn't block his breathing. He moved at an unreal speed to his bathroom. He got a cloth and ran cold water on the material before rushing back to his butler's side. Sebastian placed the cold cloth on the boy's forehead before moving to loosen Ciel's tie. He then leaned over Ciel's slightly parted lips and checked to make sure he was still breathing. He was relieved to find he was doing so. Sebastian migrated to the boy's legs and lifted them so they were above the rest of his body. Slowly, the color returned to Ciel's face, and the demon breathed a sigh of relief.

Sebastian moved back to the boy's side just as Ciel's eyes fluttered open. The preteen groaned softly before his crystal blue orb locked onto Sebastian's face. For just a fleeting second, it looked as if Sebastian was genuinely worried for his health. But Ciel brushed it off as just a trick of the light.

"Wh-What happened?" he asked tiredly. Sebastian grabbed the cloth and gently ran it over the side of Ciel's face.

"You fainted and lost consciousness for a few minutes. Heh, and **I'm** the one who supposedly does the deceiving," Sebastian scolded gently. Ciel looked genuinely confused for a second.

"Deceiving? I don't understand…" Ciel trailed off before he attempted to sit up. Sebastian stopped the boy's progress and forced him to lie back down.

"Don't move. Wait a few minutes. You just fainted, so clearly, there is something wrong," the demon said in a clipped tone. Ciel didn't know how to respond; his mind was like a muddled mess.

"I **told** you, I'm fine," Ciel retorted weakly. Sebastian smirked at Ciel's failed attempt to appear stronger then he truly was.

"Oooh? What was the last thing you ate?" Sebastian asked. Ciel blinked uncertainly at the man's question. Sebastian continued, "How long did you sleep last night…did you even sleep at all?"

"Um…"

Sebastian sighed. "You leave me no choice. You're sleeping with me," the demon suddenly said in an official tone. The fog around Ciel's mind instantly lifted at the man's words.

"WHAT?" he yelled out in surprise. Sebastian didn't respond; he merely removed the cloth from Ciel's head and scooped him into his arms. The butler instantly struggled in the older male's hold as the demon carried him over to his bed. "Are you crazy? Put me down you freakin' pervert! I'm not going to engage in such an act with you!" Ciel cried. Sebastian sighed before stopping his progress.

"I do believe my words have been lost in translation. I do not mean 'sleep' as in the sexual way…you haven't slept ever since you started having those nightmares, correct?" Sebastian asked smoothly as he gently laid the boy down on top of his bed. Ciel shook his head and sat up on the furniture.

"I can't just go to sleep now! It's the middle of the day," Ciel responded. Sebastian shrugged his shoulders.

"That hasn't stopped anyone before…"

Ciel gasped when the man started to undress himself. He looked away in embarrassment when the man's skin peeked out from the layers of fabric. Shirtless, Sebastian handed Ciel his undershirt. "You can wear this as temporary night clothing since it would be pointless to make you walk all the way back to your room to retrieve your regular bedtime wear right after a fainting spell," Sebastian explained. Ciel took the garment and placed it over to the side.

"I, unlike you, have work I still need to finish. I can't just forget about my duties to this household in favor of going to sleep. Besides, the other servants might destroy the manor in the time of my absence," Ciel responded seriously. The boy jumped off of the bed and instantly felt light-headed again. Sebastian caught the weakened child as he teetered dangerously. Ciel squeezed his eyes shut and breathed harshly as he tried to stay conscious. Sebastian sighed before his hands migrated to Ciel's waist. The boy inhaled sharply at the familiar touch. He became acutely aware of the other man's body temperature as his head rested on Sebastian's chest; he was so warm…and sturdy. The demon leaned down so his lips were resting on the top of Ciel's head.

"Please Ciel," he whispered. Ciel was shocked speechless by both the action and the words. Never had Sebastian said please to him before. It took the child completely by surprise. The butler sighed.

"Okay," he responded just as softly, "But only because I don't want to have to lean against you like this all the time," he added hastily. Sebastian chuckled before he led the boy back to his bed. Ciel slowly sat down on the edge of the furniture. Sebastian donned his other attire, minus an undershirt. Ciel blinked when the demon got down on one knee in front of him. Sebastian smiled before he began untying the laces on Ciel's shoes. A light blush dusted Ciel's ivory cheeks.

"A-At least let me undress myself," he protested. Sebastian shook his head while he removed one shoe from the boy's foot. He moved to the other one and repeated the process.

"That wouldn't be advisable; after one faints, he/she must not do any activities that require too much physical exertion," Sebastian responded professionally. Ciel rolled his eyes; he was just taking off his clothes, not running a miles-long race. The immortal was quick to remove his servant's clothing because he didn't want for the boy to get any ideas. However, he was able to get in a few extra touches that he could easily pass off as clumsiness. The feeling of the child's smooth skin caused the demon's suppressed libido to burst to the surface. He internally fought with his lust as he began unbuttoning the boy's dress shirt.

Memories of the night he lost his virginity played in Ciel's mind when Sebastian gently brushed his undershirt off of his shoulder. The child almost expected the pale male to kiss the area, just like he had that night. When he didn't, Ciel swallowed unsteadily. How naïve he had been back then to actually think that this man cared for and wanted him. Just like he did that night, Ciel shrugged himself out of the shirt and dropped it off of the bed. The demon turned to face his butler. Sebastian's face was dangerously close to Ciel's own. Both males locked eyes with one another; neither one dared to make the first move.

"Lay back Ciel. I need to take off your pants," Sebastian requested. Ciel nodded and slowly laid himself down on the man's bed. He was in a fairly vulnerable position. If the demon chose to, he could easily pin him down and have his way with him. Little did Ciel know that Sebastian had already thought of that possibility the moment Ciel's head hit the mattress. Sebastian fought down his demonic needs and reached down to unbutton the boy's trousers. Ciel gulped when the sound of the zipper being unzipped filled the silent room. Ciel lifted his hips, and flashes of another one of their nights together filled the boy's consciousness.

_I was such an idiot…_

Sebastian slowly slid the garment off of Ciel's lower body, revealing his boyishly-smooth legs. The demon's eyes began to take on the look they possessed when Ciel was his sex pet. He could slightly see it; the boy's raised thighs were trembling, almost as if they were anticipating to be rubbed and kissed once again. Neither one breathed as both contemplated the other's move. Sebastian somehow managed to control himself before he crawled on top of the boy. Once again, ice met fire. Sebastian looked down at the delectable sight beneath him. Ciel's hair was splayed around his pale face, almost like a dark halo. His rose-red and full lips were slightly parted, begging to be licked and kissed. Ciel was delicately blushing, only making Sebastian's desire for him increase tenfold. How Sebastian wished to see the boy's cerulean eye flutter in pleasure and want was indescribable.

"Ciel," the demon whispered lustfully. Ciel shuddered at the tone but forced his face to remain as indifferent as possible. Sebastian leaned down as if to kiss the boy, causing Ciel's heart to leap into his throat. "Wrap your arms around my neck so that I can assist you with sitting up straight again. It would be quite unfortunate if you were to faint again," he finished. Ciel frowned before wrapping his arms around the demon's neck. Instinctively, he pulled the man down, causing both parties to gasp with surprise. Ciel's eyes widened when he looked to see Sebastian's groin positioned in between his spread legs. The feeling of the man's hot breath washing over the shell of his sensitive ear caused Ciel to tremble and shakily whimper.

"A-Ah…I," Ciel's apology was cut off by Sebastian's chuckles. The demon wrapped his arm around the boy's back and slowly pulled him up from the bed. How Sebastian managed not to screw the poor child into his bed after **that** move and the sounds he released was a mystery to the man. Ciel let go of the demon's neck and allowed for the man to dress him in his temporary nightclothes. When the final button was clasped, both males breathed a sigh of relief.

"If you don't mind, I would like to finish the rest of my work in here. I need to be able to monitor you to make sure you do not slip into a coma or something," Sebastian explained. Ciel blinked before shrugging uncaringly.

"You're the master, so who am I to stop you from doing what you want?" Ciel asked rhetorically. Sebastian smirked before he walked to his bedroom door.

"I will return shortly," the demon called back. Ciel rolled his eyes and shooed the man away. When the boy heard the door click shut, he buried his face in his hands.

_What kind of fool am I? How could I let him woo me again? He doesn't even think anything of me…he said so himself. So why am I so touched that he is allowing for me to rest in his bed? Why did I __**want**__ him to do something more to me? For Pete's sake, I even spurred him on by pulling him on top of me! I __**wanted**__ him to devour me right then and there…I wanted him to control and own my body like he used to. I wanted him inside of me…I __**want**__ him. Sebastian's right…I'm nothing but a whore...I can't even follow my own rules and regulations, and yet I scold him for his lack of morals. I'm such a hypocrite…_

Ciel flopped backwards on the man's bed and tried to push all thoughts of Sebastian out of his head. He rolled over and crawled up to the head of the bed. The butler burrowed himself under his master's covers and squeezed his eyes shut. Never had he wanted to end his life as much as he did now…

Ciel inhaled and instantly felt himself relax. Sebastian's bed smelled just like Sebastian; an oddly comforting mix of ink, lavender, musk, and something else the boy couldn't identify. He snuggled into the pillow and breathed deeply. Somehow, when he was lying in the man's bed, he felt at peace with everything…he felt safe. This was the place where he and the demon used to spend their nights together but he didn't feel hurt or angry. Ciel ran a hand over the area where the demon would flop to after going for more than one round of sex in a night. The boy could almost taste and feel the demon's lips as they sweetly caressed his own. Memories of the man's scorching touch on his skin caused Ciel's nerve endings to tingle with need. His own fingers twitched at the memory of clutching onto the man above him when Sebastian pounded into his flushed body. Ciel's throat ached to call out the man's name like he used to when they were in the throes of passion. He yearned for the feel of his master's embrace and for his gentle fingers running through his hair. He swore his ears could hear the whispers that caused Ciel's throat to tighten and for his heart to pound.

_I miss you… I think…_

The butler rolled over and nearly had a heart attack when he saw Sebastian standing in the doorway. "Are you comfortable?" the immortal asked before closing the door behind him. He was holding a folder filled with papers in one hand, a pencil, feather pen, and a letter opener behind his ears, and an ink bottle balanced on his head. Ciel thought the demon looked uncharacteristically hilarious. The butler merely nodded and hid his secret mirth at the other male's appearance. Sebastian smiled before making his way over to his bed. He sat himself on the edge of the bed and set the bottle of ink on the nightstand. The demon got straight to work; Ciel watched as the man's face slipped into a concentrated mask as he read over files and organized information.

_Come to think of it, I've never seen my master at work…he seems like a completely different person. _It suddenly hit Ciel that he really didn't know that much about his master. Sure, he knew that Sebastian ran a wildly successfully business, was currently engaged to a death god, used to be human, hunted supernatural beings, and worked as the Queen's Watchdog. But the boy didn't know much about **Sebastian**. He didn't know what he liked and what he didn't like, when his birthday was, or if he even had a birthday.

_I want to know more about him…_

Sebastian glanced over to see Ciel staring intently at him. The demon smirked before moving to untie the boy's eye patch. The unexpected physical contact caused Ciel to flinch. "You know, it is best to let your eye feel air every once in a while," Sebastian commented before setting the cloth on the nightstand. The boy could only nod. Sebastian cocked his head to the side. "Are you having trouble falling asleep?"

"No…"

"I see, you just enjoy watching me," Sebastian said slyly. Ciel flushed with embarrassment and opened his mouth to protest. "I don't particularly mind…besides, this does involve you as well," Sebastian continued. Interest peaked, Ciel looked at the folder.

"What's in that folder?" he asked curiously.

"Notes for our next assignment from the Queen," Sebastian replied. The demon handed a piece of paper to his interested child butler. The boy glanced at the official-looking document; in the corner was a picture of a young upper-class girl. Ciel blinked when he saw that he was holding a death certificate.

"What is this?" he asked with shock. Sebastian gently plucked the paper from the preteen's hand and placed it back in the folder.

"Apparently, a man by the name of Viscount Druitt has been luring young girls into prostitution during his parties. He appears to woo them and then drug them to where they aren't even sure what their name is anymore. The drug is highly addictive and very deadly when taken in large amounts; sadly, it is fairly easy to die from an overdose from this substance because the human body develops a tolerance to it very quickly. However, Scotland Yard has not been able to find any incriminating evidence to get a warrant for his arrest," Sebastian finished. Ciel slowly nodded with understanding when the new information sank in.

"So the Queen has released her dogs to sniff out the evidence, hm?" Ciel asked with slight amusement. Sebastian smirked before he suddenly reached out to run his hand through Ciel's hair. The boy froze at the touch as his eyes widened to comic proportions.

"Indeed; but this is unimportant at the moment. You need to rest," Sebastian said in a soft voice. Ciel frowned before pushing his master's hand away.

"Don't touch me…just…don't," Ciel stated coldly before rolling over so his back was to the immortal man. It was official: Ciel couldn't accept another touch from this man. If he did, he might shatter into a million pieces.

**XXX**

Sebastian felt something hit the side of his leg, but he ignored it. If he could just figure out how to buy out one of his competitors, he would have nearly free reign in Ireland. The demon paused in his mental calculations when he felt the same sensation on his leg. It almost felt like someone was kicking him…

"N-No…don't hurt th-them…please!" a desperate voice suddenly pleaded. Sebastian blinked, concentration completely broken, and turned to appraise his sleeping pet. He coolly took in the appearance of Ciel thrashing in his sleep; he was having another one of his nightmares. The immortal sighed as the boy kicked him again.

_These nightmares have been occurring for a ridiculously long amount of time. If humans didn't require sleep to survive, this matter would not be very serious. But the fact that these dreams are causing him to lose such a precious necessity is fairly dangerous and a grave hindrance considering his duties._

"No! St-Stop it! DADDY…MOMMY!" Ciel screamed out. Sebastian could see his servant's eyes frenziedly moving underneath his eyelids; his bangs were stuck to his sweat-covered forehead. Occasionally, the boy would jerk as if he was trying to run or hide from something. His little mouth opened and closed as he simultaneously gasped for air and released frantic cries and pitiful whimpers.

"Someone…please help them! They're gonna die!" Ciel cried. His tiny fists clenched whatever they could hold onto as his legs began a frenzied kicking motion, mimicking the movements of someone running. Sebastian's eyelids lowered as his mouth was set into a small frown.

"No one is going to help them Ciel. They are already dead," Sebastian whispered to the panicking butler. Suddenly, his body stilled, and the demon thought his words had somehow traveled into the boy's dream world. Ciel shakily opened his mouth and released the shrillest scream Sebastian had ever heard. It was filled with pain, remorse, and confusion…Sebastian's eyes widened as he realized the boy was dreaming about his time with the men who eventually would dump him on his doorstep. Sebastian watched as the boy blindly fought off his attackers; he wildly kicked and punched as his face contorted into a mask of agony, fear, and hate.

"NOOOOO! G-Get away from me! STOP IT! Ugh, don't touch me…STOP! Wh-Why are you d-doing this to me? DON'T! I-I-I don't want this! I d-don't like it! Please…no more… Wh-Why won't anyone come for us…for me?" Ciel asked in a broken voice. Sebastian appraised his butler for a moment as he mulled over the boy's question. A small smile developed on the demon's face before he moved closer to the thrashing child. He moved so he was positioned slightly over the servant; his face was in line with Ciel's sweating and tortured one. The demon reached out a hand and gently cupped the side of the boy's face; he watched as Ciel's pulse jumped in the throbbing vein of his neck.

"I cannot answer that question because I do not know the answer…but what I do know is you have people with you now. Although you do not know it, there are many people who care for you," Sebastian dryly smirked as Ciel continued to moan in despair, "But I guess that does not matter for the time you spent there now does it?" Sebastian's eyes softened as he leaned down so he was a barely an inch away from Ciel's quivering lips. "If you were awake, you would probably kill me for this. I apologize in advance for my actions…" Sebastian trailed off before pressing a gentle kiss to Ciel's mouth. The child instantly froze at the contact, and the demon almost expected for the butler to wake up and slap him across the face. He didn't move his lips or attempt to slip his tongue past the boy's lips; he merely rested his own against Ciel's plump and rose-petal soft ones. Ciel's body eventually relaxed; the moment it did, Sebastian slowly pulled away. The boy's face was now one of someone who was in a deep, dreamless, sleep. The immortal smiled as he stroked the boy's cheek. "Sleep now Ciel, for tomorrow will be here before you know it."

"I…KNEW…it!" an excited voice called from the doorway. Sebastian calmly turned to face a triumphantly smiling Madam Red. He raised an eyebrow at the death god's excitement.

"I knew there was something going on between you two! I could see it in your guys' eyes. Oh my goodness! This has to be the juiciest piece of gossip since Marie Antoinette," the red-haired woman continued loudly. The demon frowned before placing a finger over his lips to tell the lady to be quieter. Madam Red glanced over at Ciel's peacefully sleeping form. She sighed before fully stepping into the room. The death god pushed the door closed behind her and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You know, you have some serious demonic luck. Grell was originally going to come, but I came in his place only to find you sucking face with your **butler**," Madam Red commented. Sebastian cocked his head to the side at the woman's word choice.

"I do believe you are exaggerating…and really now, 'sucking face'? Could you not have chosen better words?" Sebastian asked patiently. Madam Red rolled her eyes before she gestured behind her.

"Aren't you going to ask why Grell wanted to come and see you?"

Silence was the answer to Madam Red's question. The redhead sighed again before walking over to the bed. She took in the sight of the child's sleep and food-deprived body. Sebastian watched as the woman's lipstick colored lips formed a small smile of affection and empathy. Madam Red reached out a hand and gently brushed back Ciel's bangs. "He was the one who got away…" she murmured thoughtfully. Sebastian appraised the death god for a moment.

"He was on the death list?" he inquired. Madam Red nodded before removing her hand from Ciel's forehead.

"His physical condition was beyond repair…it had been for quite a long period of time. His emotional state was one of a caged animal. The only thing that kept him alive was his mental state, but when that finally cracked…along with the stab wound, he was placed on my death list. I was the one who was supposed to collect his soul…but it appears as if a vulture got to it first," she said with a hint of venom. Sebastian smirked and placed a hand over his heart before mockingly bowing in his sitting position.

"Your kind words humble me Madam Red. Such compliments for something of my nature are below your kind," he said in an equally mocking tone of voice. The red-eyed woman rolled her eyes before taking in Ciel's physical appearance again.

"He needs to eat and drink something **very** soon," the noble lady suddenly stated. Sebastian watched coolly as his future sister-in-law went into doctor-mode. He had found it a tad ironic that someone who's main job was to collect the souls of the **dead** chose a human profession that dealt with **saving** human lives. Madam Red got down on one knee and gently took the boy's scarily thin wrist in her hand. Sebastian's eyes widened at the sight; he had known Ciel was thinner, but he didn't realize it was to such an extreme state. The physician pressed her index and middle finger to the junction where the wrist met the hand to search for a pulse.

"His pulse is very faint and weak. I believe he is severely dehydrated," Madam Red stated professionally before releasing the child's bony wrist.

"That would explain why he fainted," Sebastian commented. The woman's eyes widened at the demon's words.

"He's already fainted? This is worse than I thought…his physical condition is progressively worsening and with the way his mental and emotional state are so imbalanced…"

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Sebastian cut in. Madam Red looked shocked for a moment before she shrugged her shoulders.

"How should I know? That's for someone in a non-science field such as psychology (1). I'm only making an assumption based on his behavior," the woman replied. She continued with her examination of Ciel, leaving Sebastian to contemplate over her words.

_So the root cause of Ciel's declining health is due to his mentality… This is definitely a new development. What could be the cause of such an extreme physical change? Honestly, humans are such complicated creatures…_

As the woman continued checking Ciel's vitals, her outlook on his condition steadily declined. His skin was an ashen color, his lips were severely cracked, and it almost looked as if his legs wouldn't be able to support him for much longer. Madam Red moved back into a standing position and glanced over at the thinking demon.

"Look, I'm not sure if you are directly the cause of Ciel's rapidly declining health, but what I do know is if there isn't a major change, he will definitely die. So you need to do whatever you need to do to ensure that this boy continues to live. He was originally **my** charge; the fact that I lost him to a **demon** is bad enough. I don't need to see him die in front of my eyes," she paused, "Then again, you probably would want that though, correct? After all, you get to finally have a meal after such a long amount of time," Madam Red added coyly. She smiled a smile dripping with poison before moving back towards the door. She did a little wave and opened the door.

"Oh! I almost forgot," she dug into the sleeve of her red coat and produced a letter. "Grell wanted me to give you this," she tossed it over her shoulder and Sebastian easily caught it. He glanced at the name of the person who sent the letter before glancing up to find he was once again alone with Ciel. The immortal sighed and looked over at his slowly dying butler. The thought of finally eating after such a long amount of time caused the immortal's mouth to water. A small smirk developed on Sebastian's face.

He now knew what he needed to do.

**XXX**

Ciel's eyes slowly fluttered open. He was confused for a moment as he took in his unfamiliar surroundings. The dark-haired preteen gradually began to remember what had happened to him. He had been doing his work like normal when Sebastian had called for him, they had danced together, Ciel had fainted, and his master had **insisted** he get some rest in his bed. Ciel's eyes migrated to the open window, where the sun was illuminating the rest of the room with its warmth and light. The boy blinked at the sight before cautiously sitting up.

"I see you are finally awake. I was beginning to wonder if you had somehow slipped into a coma without my knowing," a smooth voice commented. Ciel sighed at the demon's lack of knocking skills and turned to look at his master. Sebastian smiled brightly from his perch in a chair, slightly throwing the boy off. Well, perhaps it wasn't only the male's smile.

His outfit was definitely doing a number on Ciel's brain. The normally darkly dressed man was now wearing a white coat with a stethoscope strung over his neck. His hair was done in a way to where only one of his two longer bangs was showing; the other was tucked neatly behind his ear. His glasses that he wore for reading were proudly perched on the bridge of his nose, and a clipboard with some papers on it was currently resting on the lap of the man's black pants.

"Why…are you dressed like a physician?" Ciel asked slowly. Sebastian's smile slipped off his face as a hurt look developed in its place.

"Do you not like it? I took great pains to make sure I was dressed properly. According to Madam Red, this outfit is a symbol of hope to sick patients around the world," Sebastian said with a small hint of passion. Ciel yawned and stretched his arms over his head to work the kinks out of his shoulders and back.

"Who exactly is the sick patient here?" Ciel asked boredly. He couldn't believe how long it had been since he had slept so well. He felt **amazing**. The boy almost felt as if he could face anything life threw at him.

Almost.

"You are my patient Ciel," Sebastian replied pleasantly. Ciel's eyes widened in disbelief at the other male's words.

_There goes my good mood…_

"What are you talking about? I'm not sick! Even if I was, I wouldn't want **you** taking care of me…you aren't even a doctor!" Ciel pointed out. Sebastian shrugged his shoulders before glancing down at the clipboard in his lap.

"That may be true, but you **are** sick and I **am** taking care of you because as the master, it is my duty to make sure all of my servants are healthy," Sebastian replied calmly. Ciel shook his head and pointed to the closed door.

"Go get Madam Red! If I really am sick, I'm going to have an **actual** doctor take care of m-" Ciel was cut off by a sudden coughing fit. It then occurred to him how dry his throat and mouth felt. When was the last time he had drank something? Sebastian observed as his pet dryly coughed before reaching over to the nightstand for the glass of water.

"Drink this," he ordered. Ciel glanced at the glass warily. Sebastian sighed. "I wouldn't poison water, no matter how evil my race may seem," he stated tiredly. Ciel grabbed for the glass when he sensed another cough about to emerge and gulped down the refreshing liquid. He choked due to the rate he had been drinking, and the butler began to cough again. Sebastian sighed before moving from his seat. He sat down on the edge of the bed and gently removed the glass of water from the boy's hands. The demon then used his other hand to rub and lightly hit the child's back. Ciel swallowed and breathed unsteadily before he became acutely aware of Sebastian's hand rubbing his back.

"Don't touch me!" Ciel ordered. The immortal removed his hand from the boy and handed the glass of water back to Ciel.

"I wouldn't have had to if you had simply drunk in a calmer fashion. Honestly, do all humans lack common sense?" Sebastian asked rhetorically. Ciel growled before forcing himself to slowly drink the water. It wasn't his fault that he was so thirsty…okay, maybe it was but that wasn't the point.

_There's no way I'm going to let this guy take care of me…_

"If you are really so worried about who your caretaker is, you have no need to fear. Madam Red will be handling the actual treatment and recovery plan. I am merely following her orders," Sebastian reassured his pet. Ciel looked suspiciously at the clipboard on the chair before looking back at his demon master.

"What exactly categorizes me as being sick? I feel fine," Ciel mumbled moodily. Sebastian smirked before he took the empty glass of water and replaced it with a fresh one. Ciel instantly began drinking from the cup.

"You do not have Coryza (2), Grippe (3), or even a Corruption (4). However, you are severely dehydrated, you are suffering from sleep-deprivation, and you haven't eaten sufficiently for quite a long amount of time," Sebastian paused as he thought about something, "Although I think you have caught up quite nicely on your sleep," he added cheerfully. Ciel paused in his drinking activities to look at his demon master.

"Why do you say that?" he asked curiously before bringing the glass back up to his lips. Sebastian smirked.

"Well, you were asleep for three whole days…nearly four if you had slept for another two hours," Sebastian said. Ciel spit out the water he had just put into his mouth with surprise. Sebastian glanced down at the slightly damp sheets before looking at his surprised butler.

"Was that really necessary? I just had those cleaned…" he said in a saddened tone of voice.

"I was asleep for three days? Why the hell didn't anyone wake me up? The manor must be in ruins by now!" Ciel said frantically. Sebastian's chuckles stopped the boy's frenzied moments.

"I do believe I just stated you were sleep-deprived; it was by Madam Red's orders that no one disturb your rest. And the manor is still all in one piece. I informed the others that you were not going to be able to work for a few days, and they have behaved themselves ever since," Sebastian listed off smoothly. Ciel blinked at the man's words before he sat back against the headboard. A thought popped in his head that caused the boy's embarrassment to spike. He shifted unconsciously and was shocked when he didn't feel anything down **there**. Sebastian's smirk widened at Ciel's discomfort.

"As for your "needs", I took care of that. I believe I had to change the sheets at least eight different times, and I have now lost nine dress shirts…" Sebastian trailed off suggestively. A bright red flush spread across the boy's cheeks as the meaning behind the man's words revealed themselves to him.

_Oh…my…God! Sebastian saw me naked a total of nine times! And I didn't even feel a thing! Who knows what he could've done to my body while I was sleeping so soundly. Not only that, I wet the bed eight times in the course of three days! I'm never going to be able to live this down…_

"Come now Ciel, there's no need to be embarrassed. It's not as if I haven't seen you naked before…"

"AAAH, SHUT UP!" Ciel yelled in an attempt to drown out Sebastian's voice. He clutched Sebastian's dress shirt to his chest and glared at the smirking demon. "You're such a pervert master!" Ciel accused. Sebastian's smirk never wavered as he reached over to the nightstand.

"I will not confirm nor deny your accusation. Now, say 'ah' again," Sebastian said calmly. Ciel kept his lips firmly clamped shut, thinking the man was going to do something perverted to him. He was so shocked when the older man pressed a forkful of mashed potatoes into his lips that his jaw dropped in surprise.

_Sebastian's feeding me? What the hell!_

Ciel dropped the glass of water onto the bed, spilling water onto his sheets-covered legs. Sebastian withdrew the utensil from the inside of the boy's mouth and sighed resignedly. Ciel glared at him and slowly chewed the food. The fluffy potatoes instantly melted in his mouth, and the boy eagerly swallowed. It didn't hit him until after he had finished the forkful of potatoes that nature was calling.

"It looks as if the sheets are going to have be changed now…eating while wet is highly uncomfortable and improper," Sebastian commented before setting the plate of steaming food back onto the nightstand. Ciel's mouth watered at the sight of the food. He was so focused on the food that he didn't even see Sebastian move until he found himself cradled in Sebastian's arms. The demon beamed at the shocked child. "I believe a trip to the bathroom is in order," the demon stated before walking towards the door of the bathroom.

"What the…put me down! I can freaking **walk** to the bathroom…you don't need to carry me! Hey! Are you listening to me master? I **said** to put me down now!" Ciel yelled in protest. Sebastian's smile never wavered as he continued to head towards the bathroom.

"I cannot do that," he said. Ciel gaped at the unfazed immortal.

"Why the hell not?"

"Doctor's orders."

"Who's?"

"Mine," Sebastian replied calmly.

…

_Bastard._

_

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_

(1): **Teehee, I actually learned this fact in my college Psychology class. Apparently, when Psychology was first "invented" in the 1800s, it wasn't really thought of as a science because it dealt with things that couldn't really be observed...so yeah, that's why Madam Red made that comment.**

(2): **I got to look up tons of old medical terms for this chapter! ^-^ Coryza was the old word for what is now known as the Common Cold. Thank goodness they simplified the way to say it...I'm not even sure how that's pronounced...**

(3): **Grippe is the old medical term for Influenza or what is commonly known as the Flu.**

(4): **Corruption is (once again xD) the old medical term for an infection. The site I used wasn't specific about what type of infection, but I just used it since it was a pretty general medical ailment. ^-^**

**

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**J-C: Whew! I finally finished this chapter! I had to write it in bits and pieces throughout the past two weeks because most of my time at home was spent either sleeping or doing homework...or making an audition vid for a MEP group on youtube...which I'm halfway done with! ^0^ So how was that you guys?**

~Sasuke~ At least you didn't end all dramatically like the last time...

Naruto: *attempting to say Coryza correctly*

J-C: Okay then... I once again turn to my lovely readers, favoriters, story alerters, and reviewers! What did YOU guys think? I tried my best to make the dance scene as smooth as possible so I hope that everybody was able to clearly visualize that. As you guys can see, we are finally starting to get a little peek into Ciel's past...but I'm sure that many of you are asking why Ciel can't remember his nightmare after he wakes up. *smirks* That will be revealed at a much later time, I promise! And get ready for tons of face palm moments because Viscount Druitt is going to make an appearance VERY soon (I promise, he will not appear again after this arc, I swear!). I also have some interesting news to report...WE HAVE MORE FANS! ^0^ Lolz, I was able to get four of my closest friends into Kuroshitsuji...so instead of doing homework, we were watching the first two episodes of the first season, and they LOVED it! And of course, they think Sebastian is the hottest guy to walk the Earth, but that's to be expected. ;) AND I have good news for everybody! Next weekend is Labor Day Weekend (for those who don't live in the USA, the Labor Day Weekend is a holiday to celebrate those in the military)! That means I get 3 days off which translates to an UPDATE (or at least an attempt to). If I can make it through this school week without completely failing anything (I have two quizzes on Monday, a quiz on Tuesday, and two tests on Friday), then it will be all good! ^0^ But you know what would help to get me through this week? If you guys REVIEW! You guys don't know how happy I was two weeks ago when I came home from a stressful day of school to see nearly 40 reviews for this story! If you guys review (or even just favorite, alert me or the story, or even favorite me!), then I will feel loads better (and will hopefully pass everything!). So PLZ PLZ PLZ REVIEW! Well, it's getting really late (it's almost 11:45 at night!), so I better sign out or else I won't be able to stay awake for my quizzes tomorrow.

**Ja ne for now! ^-^**

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Ailea Creed: **Lolz, right out the window that's where! Seriously, I just threw some cuteness out the window and right into a conveniently located spider's web with this huge spider in the center who I named Claude (I swear, that thing showed up out of NOWHERE right after I started watching Kuroshitsuji 2...creepy much? O.o). Now let's remember, Sebastian is a DEMON...he kinda has to be evil-ish or else it wouldn't be right...at least right now anyway. ;) Lolz, I never really thought of the beginning being like a journal entry...that's a pretty good idea though! ^-^ Thanks for being so supportive and understanding about the latest chapter. Oh yeah, nice use of irony! I love that reference...forbidden fruit, lolz! Ciel is always being compared to food! ^0^ Lolz, both of those options are open to Sebastian, I'm positive. The reason for the whole engagement will be revealed really soon, so just hang on fellow SebaCiel fan! ;) Don't worry; I'm not a big fan of emo stuff and it never even crossed my mind to make my story like that! Things will get better...eventually! ^-^' Thanks for putting your trust in me; I love SebaCiel so much that it's downright creepy (ask my buddies who I've recently gotten to start watching the series). Lolz, Sebastian's brain was lacking intelligence at the moment...he's probably hitting his head against the wall for his idiocy. xD Lolz, that mental image of Ciel going boom is oddly entertaining (sadist much?)! Oh my goodness, that would be soooo awesome! ^-^ I can't wait to see what you draw! ^0^ Ugh, you are sooo lucky! I'm technically taking college classes but I still have to wake up at the regular high school time because I go to a special high school...bleh. :P Ahaha, and I actually do have a MSN...I think. I'm so lame when it comes to social networking...my username is aa1batt! I would totally love to chat with you outside of this site! Thanks so much for being open to being online buddies and for reviewing my story again! ^0^**

MsFluff: **Oh my goodness, you are too dedicated for words, I swear! ^0^ I'm so glad that you like my story that much! I worked really hard on honing my describing skills, so it's great that you were able to feel the emotions in Chapter 13. Lolz, glad you like the addition of more Kuroshitsuji characters. Gosh, I love Madam Red so much! I wish they hadn't killed her off so quickly... *sniffles at the memory* As for the whole Sebastian x Grell engagement thing, that will be revealed in a later chapter (it's actually quite hilarious xD). Thanks for the well-wishes on school and thankies for this review! I'll update as soon as I can! ^0^**

ObsessedConanFan: **Ahaha, I'm sorry! I didn't really think that I left it on a cliffie...I'm such a bad person! I'm SOOOOOO sorry! T_T But I'm really happy that you ended up finding my fic and that you like it so much! Teehee, finally someone has some sympathy for Sebastian! Don't worry...things will get better...eventually... Thanks for the encouragement and for reviewing my story! Both are much appreciated! ^0^**

sakura: **YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! Lolz, that was my attempt to equal the length of the word 'love' in your review! xD I'm really happy to see that you like the new direction I sharply turned the plot towards. My whole goal is to make this fic as interesting as possible, so it's great that you're even more interested now! Ahaha, duck Sebastian before you get killed by fans of this story! Awww, Ciel needs a hug but he prefers pats so... *gently pats on the head*. Thankies for your congratulations (and for your review)! I'll update ASAP, I promise! ^0^**

Shirogane-san: **Teehee, I'm glad to hear that! I worked super super hard on it, so thanks for appreciating my effort! ^-^ Ahaha, I feel exactly the same way; Sebastian is just too EPIC to hate! I'm a fangirl for life (seriously, there's this guy in two of my classes named Sebastian and every time his name's called, I get all fangirlish and stuff...even though he looks NOTHING like him...sad isn't it? T_T). Lolz, I second that statement; Ciel is too amazing for words. He's like a human Sebastian in this story! ^-^ Sadly, Ciel doesn't like hugs (unless they are from Sebastian...), but I think he'll be okay with a light pat on the head... I will do my best to update as soon as I can; thankies for being so understanding of my situation too (and also for reviewing again!). It's all very much appreciated! ^0^**

Kuro Neko-chan: **Lolz, that reaction is priceless! You go from, "Oh, yay! A new chapter!" to "Wait, Ciel wants to do what?". xD *blank stare* Wow, what a threat, lolz! Ahaha, I'm sure your sister will be happy with this new development! ;) I'm glad you could find some humor from Ciel's pain...the molestation must be nice though... Ciel's stubborness is what makes him soo cute *holds plushie* Hopefully he will admit that he likes Sebby soon...in like 35 chapters *dies from the thought*! Teehee, the hilarity of interruption was too tempting to resist (and I have a picture in my mind of Sebastian with a childish facial expression...talk about mega hot! *nose begins to bleed*). I'm really glad that you liked the addition of Grell and Madam Red to the story. I love those guys so much that I decided to make them brother and sister! ^0^ Ah Sly...I think I'm starting to really like him...too bad he's not actually in the Kuroshitsuji manga...he only exists in my mind and in this story *sighs*. But I'm glad that you like him a lot too! Lolz, what a reaction! While everybody else was angry about it, you start laughing...NICE! Oh noes, don't cry again! *Grabs for tissues* Use this chica! Oh my goodness, that sucks that it turned out that way...too much laughter and something bad ends up happening (although I laughed a lot too). Holy jizznit! You better go apologize Sebastian before you get punished! O.o Awww, I'm sure Ciel appreciates the fact that you cried in his place since he's not a big fan of crying. ^-^ Oh my goodness, YAY! I can't wait to see those pictures! Whew! Your mom is really nice...my dad just would've taken it away. Lolz, no debt system for me, that's for sure! ^0^ *falls out of chair laughing* Your cat is AWESOME! And she has amazing taste in men as well. ;) Lolz, I might include Claude in this story...I'm still deciding. Good luck with your schooling (and I hate waking up early too!). WAAAAAAH! I don't even want to think about Episode 8 or 9...CURSE YOU CLAUDE! And yet I still like him... -_- Ahaha, I noticed that too! COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT (just kidding xD)! Thankies for being so enthusiastic about my story and for reviewing yet again! ^-^**

lilly: **Nice word choice! I don't think anybody has used that word yet...oddly, I'm imagining it spelled out in rainbow letters... ^-^ Anyhoo, it's really koolio that you think Sebastian is being punished by having to marry Grell. It pleases me greatly to hear that you like the new concepts and the way this arc is going. Ugh, I would kill myself if I wrote a whiny Ciel (I dislike whiny people in general...just ugh...) so don't worry about that! Sebastian is gonna have to BEG (lolz, not really but it's a nice thought, ne?). I love Ciel period! In Season 2, he's acting more like his manga self, which I really like! The fact that he's wanted by two hot demon guys is certainly contributing to my love for his character. ;) *sniffles* Poor Alois...he looked so pathetic, I started tearing up! *huggles a nonexistent Alois plushie* I'm glad to see that you liked my inclusion of Sly in this chapter! Ahaha, yep, Sly is number 1 at revealing secrets...which can be both a bad and a good thing depending on how you look at it. ^-^ I will do my best to update as soon as I am able! Stupid school...but it's very important to both me and my parents so I've gots to work hard! Thanks for the well wishes you lucky duck (I wish my school started in September)! *huggles* ^-^**

Kochi: **I'm really glad to see you so excited for Ciel and Sebastian having their roles switched! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story as well! Thanks so much for the review! ^0^**

melianstorm: **Awwww! That's a really nice thing for you to say! I'm super happy that I could make you feel that way (and I hope that never happens to you). Teehee, of course not...Sebastian is technically the pedo but let's not worry about that. xD Ciel is a hard-worker; he'll find a way to pull through...hopefully... *sniffles* I KNOW RIGHT! I loved Madam Red! She was a really awesome female character... *goes to emo corner to sulk over her death* But I'm glad that you liked me including her in my story! ^-^ Teehee, my point exactly! Madam Red and Grell were MEANT to be brother and sister I tell you! Glad you liked the role I gave her in this story! ^0^ *rubs Sly's hurt shoulder* He's not very good at keeping secrets...but Ciel was gonna find out eventually. Better to find out now than later right? Oh my goodness, if Ciel gave Sebastian the finger, I would've died laughing. I'm glad that you thought I wrote their argument well (yeah, I hate child violence...alas, this is Kuroshitsuji, and violence has no discrimination with this manga/anime...). Ahaha, good point! Makeup sex is always something to look forward to...get your tissues ready! ;) Thanks for wishing me luck on my homework and for reviewing! I can't wait to read your story whenever it comes out. And that's a really kool fact! Trust me, I'm probably 10x lamer than you...thanks for reviewing! ^-^**

Cooler: ***smiles* I'm really glad to see that you like my story so much! SebaCiel is my fav shounen-ai pairing too! UNITE FELLOW FAN! xD Thankies for reviewing my story! ^-^**

SebaCieLuver: ***bows* Thankies so much for the congratulations! It's thanks to you and my other reviewers that I was able to reach such a milestone! So thank YOU! ^0^ Oh my goodness, you caught it too! Lolz, I was totally trying to channel that manga chapter in the first part of this chapter, so it's really kool that you caught that! I'm glad that you like the new arc and stuff! ^0^ Whew, so glad to see that I can still keep everybody IC; and yes, yay for Sly reappearing again! ^0^ Ahaha, I couldn't resist giving Grell a legitamate excuse for clinging on to Sebastian. ;) *hands tissue* Here chica; we can both cry in Ciel's place! *sniffles* I'm pretty sure that Sebastian is definitely regretting his decision as I type out this message. ;) Then again, he is a demon so it's in his nature to be an a$$, you know? And thankies so much for giving my buddy's stories a chance! I really hope you're having a good time on your vacation! ^-^ *huggles* It's all good chica; I'm just happy that you were willing to give my other stories a chance! If I ever find the inspiration for that story, I'll repost it someday. And SebaCiel is now my fav pairing as well...they just really grew on me (plus NaruSasu didn't have a lot of moments in the anime so yeah... -_-), so don't feel bad about them not being your fav yaoi pairing! Your review definitely cheered me up, so thankies for that! Thanks for wishing me luck with school as well! Bye bye for now (and thanks again for reviewing!). ^-^**

Purvo: **Really? You're jealous of me? I'm speechless...and super happy that you like my story so much! ^0^ Lolz, it's really koolio that you were able to detect the subtle differences I put in the characters'. I'm glad that you think they are good differences too! ^-^ Teehee, these ideas all stem from my overactive imagination...it can sometimes be a problem when I'm supposed to be focusing on something in class. But I'm really happy that you like the storyline and all the ideas I've come up with so far! ^-^ That would be totally awesome! I love having buddies that I can talk to about this story (and the cookies aren't bad either). Oh my god...Claude is such a...ARGH! I can't even finish that thought and yet I still like him because he's so deviously cunning...I need to see Episode 10 NOW! T_T Anyhoo, I just wanted to take the time to say thankies for reviewing my story! It's greatly appreciated (and the ending line of your review is really cute)! ^0^**

Zozo-Chan: **I know right! But we must remember that Sebastian is a demon...it's his nature to act like a meanie-butt. I feel sorry for Ciel too, but hopefully (?) things will turn out for the better. Thankies for reviewing again! ^0^**


	15. The Disguise

******J-C: *breathes a huge sigh of relief* I survived!**

**~Sasuke~ What exactly are you talking about this time J-C?**

**J-C: Well you guys, the past two weeks have been heck for me. Not only did I have to study my butt off for my tests and quizzes and classes, but I also got really sick. In fact, I'm still somewhat recovering from that sickness. Ugh, it was horrible...I had to take this liquid medicine that tasted terrible. Since it only made me feel worse, I decided to do it 1800s style and let my body get me better instead! ^-^ And remember when I said I had a whole week filled with tests and quizzes? Well, I PASSED THEM ALL! In fact, I got A's on all of my tests! Including the math one! ^_^ *squeals excitedly***

******Naruto: *glomps* I'm so happy you passed J-C! That means that you can keep writing on this site!**

******~Sasuke~ Only those two could be happy about grades.**

**********J-C: *sticks out tongue* Don't be a hater Sasuke!**

**********Naruto: Yeah Sasuke! Besides, I don't even know what it's like to be happy about grades, so there!**

**~Sasuke~ Dobe...**

******J-C: Anyhoo, I think it's about time to get this chapter started, don't you guys think? I know I said I might update last week, but I still had my math test to study for, so I didn't get an opportunity to write at all. Luckily, I had plenty of time this week to both write and watch the latest episode of Kuroshitsuji 2! ^-^**

******Naruto: Uh-oh...**

**~Sasuke~ Here she goes again...**

**J-C: *sniffles* THERE'S ONLY ONE MORE EPISODE LEFT OF THE SECOND SEASON! T_T I don't want Kuro to end so soon! Even though the 10th episode made me want to eliminate Claude from the face of the earth and the last episode was total crack and made me a tad pissed because the producers added a twist that will most likely screw up the ending (trying not to spoil anything...super hard NOT to spoil anything), I won't have anything to look forward to every week anymore!**

******Naruto: Well, there is something you can still look forward to J-C...**

**********J-C: What?**

**~Sasuke~ Always being an idiot...**

******Naruto: Reading your reviews!**

**J-C: *eyes shine with happiness* Oh my goodness Naruto! You're totally right! Speaking of reviews, now is the time for me to thank my readers for helping me reach yet another milestone with One Hell of a Master! I am now only about 30 reviews away from having 600 reviews for my story! ^0^ I got 52 reviews for the last chapter, which is a little over half of a 100; that's amazing you guys! Seriously, I am truly grateful that you guys are still taking time out of your busy schedules to read my ridiculously long chapters. Your guys' dedication will definitely rewarded in about 2 chapters' time. *smirks***

******~Sasuke~ Well then, how about shortening the amount of time your readers have to wait for their reward?**

**J-C: *rolls eyes* Okay Sasuke...Disclaimer...Warnings...drag out my readers wait for their reward! *smirks evilly***

******Disclaimer: Let's just say, if I owned Kuroshitsuji, I wouldn't have allowed for my editors to convince me not to make it shounen-ai (curse you stupid editors!).**

******Warnings: Seriously, not a lot to really warn about...a little bit of language, and some sexual themes/words/situations.**

**J-C: Let's see, what else can I do to drag out my readers' wait for their reward? Hmmm...scene/time changes look like this (XXX), emphasized words look like this (Last episode?) or like this (_I'm gonna miss Kuroshitsuji 2!_), thoughts look like this (**_Stupid editors for not making Kuroshitsuji a shounen-ai manga..._**), regular dialogue and stuff looks like this (**Sebastian will prevail!**), Sound FX look like this (SMACK!), and anything with extra info looks like this (**Spoiler (1)**). Alrighty then, since even I have my limits to how long I will be tortured, here's the 15th chapter of One Hell of a Master! Enjoy! ^-^**

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**Chapter 15: The Disguise**

"Say 'ah'," Sebastian coaxed gently. Ciel gave him a glare that would've melted any human being's organs instantly. He clamped his mouth shut and folded his arms stubbornly over his chest. The demon sighed and gave his butler a disapproving glance.

"Come now, I am only asking you to open your mouth…it's not like the times I asked you to get on your knees and s-"

"Don't you **dare** finish that state-mmph!" the boy was cut off by a spoon being shoved in his open mouth. Ciel was nearly a millisecond away from killing the slyly smiling demon who was currently attempting to feed him porridge. For nearly two weeks, Ciel had been forced to partake in Madam Red's plan to restore him to full health. Even though Ciel had insisted that he was okay, the red-haired reaper had ordered Sebastian to take care of and monitor him every single second of every single day until she stated otherwise. The demon hadn't even put up a fight, and Ciel had been his patient ever since.

Ciel may not have had extensive knowledge of medicine, but he was **positive** that being spoon-fed, carried to **every** location, and waking up in the arms of your "doctor" every morning were **not** on a normal patient's recovery plan. Then again, he wasn't a normal patient. He didn't have a sickness of any kind; he was just food and sleep-deprived. Madam Red's diagnosis of his severe dehydration was instantly remedied in the course of two days. Every liquid that had been offered to him had been drunk at record speeds, sometimes resulting in him nearly choking to death.

Ah, death. How sweetly it was calling to the young Phantomhive's ears. Too bad a certain devil had a firm grip over them.

Sebastian pulled the utensil from the boy's mouth and dipped it back into the bowl. "See? That was not so hard," he stated good-naturedly. Ciel rolled his eyes and grumpily chewed the food. He was still in a bad mood from waking up to find himself being spooned by his master. The boy had all but punched the man out of the bed when he fully regained his senses.

_I should've known he wouldn't just be taking care of my health needs. Honestly, his perversion is going to be the death of him…_

The blue-eyed boy swallowed the sticky substance before glancing out the window. "When is this stupid treatment going to end? I feel completely normal now," Ciel asked tiredly. Sebastian didn't respond as he spooned more of the food onto the silver utensil. Ciel glanced at his "doctor" before quickly looking away. The man looked so content sitting in the wooden chair, putting porridge on a spoon, and spoon-feeding it to him. It almost seemed like this whole thing was a ploy by Madam Red; however, he was sure that Sebastian was really the one who was orchestrating everything. For example, the porridge he was attempting to shove past Ciel's unyielding lips was the best the boy had ever had; it was perfect. The demon claimed Madam Red was in charge of all the cooking of his meals because she was a woman and therefore had more experience in the kitchen then he did.

But Madam Red was a member of nobility, so it was quite obvious that she was useless in any type of service atmosphere. Of course, Ciel didn't have any proof Sebastian was the one behind all of this; but his intuition had never failed him before, so he was nearly 100 percent sure Sebastian was the root cause of this unwilling routine they had fallen into. The demon managed to spoon the last bit of the food into his servant's mouth with a charming smile on his perfect face. Ciel was tempted to spit the porridge onto the man's face just to see his reaction but decided against it.

_Perhaps I can get out of this arrangement based on my good behavior…_

The demon glanced over at the clock and smirked. "It is time for you to visit the facilities, is it not?" he asked professionally. Ciel showed no visible reaction to the man's words. Sebastian got up from the chair before reaching out and carefully cradling the boy in his arms. Ciel sighed at the degrading position and kept his arms firmly crossed over his chest. The demon smiled and carried the child into the bathroom. Sebastian was pleased to find that Ciel had put back on all the weight he had lost; the first time he had picked up his butler, he could actually feel the outline of his bones. Now, all he could feel was warm, alluring, and sweetly-scented skin.

Ah, how the immortal cherished the moments where he could touch that skin without the boy knowing. Madam Red had insisted that touch was a necessity for the human race, so it was his job to find some way to make sure Ciel was touched as much as possible during the healing process. So every night while Ciel was off in dreamland, Sebastian would gently run his fingers along the boy's face and body. He would mentally map out every dip and curve and stored the location of hypersensitive areas on the child for later use. Sebastian had found those areas by complete accident; oftentimes, Ciel would either twitch or release a soft gasp or moan, causing the demon to go mad with lustful thoughts and ideas. When the demon would become tempted to feel underneath the material of Ciel's nightshirt and undergarments, he would pull the child into his arms and merely hold him for the rest of the night.

The demon gently set the boy on the ground in front of the toilet. He stood patiently beside the child while Ciel shifted uncomfortably. An awkward silence developed between the two males, only to be broken by one of Sebastian's knowing chuckles. "Does Ciel need assistance with-"

"Master!" Ciel yelled out with embarrassment. The demon smirked at the sight of the light pink flush on Ciel's cheeks before turning to give the boy some privacy. He closed the door behind him and warily looked at the two death gods sitting on Ciel's bed.

"Is there something you two need?" he asked stoically. The siblings' eyes widened at the man's words.

"Unbelievable! Don't tell me you've already forgotten?" Madam Red asked with disbelief. The blank look on the demon's face nearly shouted the answer to her question. Grell crossed his legs and looked at Sebastian from under his mascara-covered eyelashes.

"Sebastian, I do not know what to say. After I went through all the trouble to make sure you were guaranteed an invitation," the male death god sniffed as tears welled up in his emerald eyes, "It's like Romeo and Juliet when Romeo arrives to find Juliet had already-"

"Could this by any chance have to do with Viscount Druitt's party later this evening?" Sebastian cut in before the reaper went into a melodramatic fit. Madam Red nodded and gestured towards the bathroom.

"Is he going to be ready to go tonight?" she asked cautiously. The physician had monitored his condition a few times over the last few weeks but she hadn't been with him nearly as much as the demon. Sebastian regarded the two immortals before a slow smirk spread on his face.

"I do believe that it is advised by many doctors for a patient to get a little fresh air during treatment, no?"

Grell crossed his arms over his chest and turned to look out the window. "He better be ready…I would hate to have traveled all the way to London to pick **that** up and then find out that he's too sick to go!" Grell whined. Sebastian walked over to stand beside the sitting reaper. He used one finger and gently tilted the death god's face up. Grell's eyes instantly lit up at the soft facial expression on his fiancé's face.

"Do you doubt my word?" he asked sweetly. Grell quickly shook his head and smiled widely at the demon.

"Only my little Sebast can make the impossible possible while making it look like it required nothing at all! Ah, your stoic behavior and actions make me so horny Sebastian!" Grell suddenly exclaimed. Sebastian showed no visible reaction to the other man's outburst. Madam Red was so shocked by her brother's words that she was left uncharacteristically speechless.

Ciel's jaw nearly hit the floor. He figuratively picked up his jaw and set his face into an indifferent expression when the three immortals turned to appraise the newcomer. "I didn't know I was interrupting something…I'll just take my leave now," he finished stoically. Sebastian released his hold on his fiancée's chin and quirked an eyebrow at his butler.

"Who said that you could walk around on your own all of a sudden?" he asked with a hint of danger in his voice. Ciel glared at his demon master and defiantly walked towards the door of his bedroom.

"Hmph! **I** did! I can clearly walk without your assist-AH!" Ciel squealed with shock when he was suddenly thrown over Sebastian's shoulder. His cheeks turned even redder at the sound he had just released. Grell and Madam Red watched silently as the preteen began beating Sebastian's back with his tiny fists. "Put me down master! I can walk on my own damn it!" he yelled out indignantly. Sebastian smirked before throwing the door to Ciel's bedroom open.

"I am merely following the doctor's orders," he responded smoothly before calmly closing the door behind him. Grell gave his sister a death glare, causing Madam Red to nervously laugh.

"Doctor's orders, hmmm? Why exactly is my Sebby following such scandalous orders?" Grell asked in a dangerous tone of voice. Madam Red waved her hand dismissively before moving from her perch on the bed.

"It was just a precaution; besides, there's no way that you are jealous of a mere mortal kid, right?" she asked slyly. Grell bristled at his sibling's comment.

"Of course not! That little runt could never compare to someone of my beauty and stature!" Grell exclaimed proudly. Madam Red rolled her eyes at her brother's predictable response.

"Are you sure? It seems as if Sebastian has taken a particular liking to this one," Madam Red said thoughtfully. Grell flipped his hair and looked out the window.

"It doesn't matter whether he has taken a particular liking to him or not. **I** am his fiancée; therefore, little Sebast's love for me will prevail over his mere butler," he proclaimed dramatically. The red-haired doctor shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

"What a shame…you are so insecure that you have to use your current marital status-"

"I AM NOT INSECURE! Sebastian would never cheat on me! Especially with that little runt!" Grell shrieked. He leaped off of the bed and looked ready to destroy his immortal sister. Madam Red sighed and turned towards the door.

"Oooh? And what makes you so sure of that?" a secretive smile formed on Angelina's face, "You might want to watch out; remember, human's are known for their ability to do things right under our noses. I would say that demons and humans are much more similar than death gods are to the little devils," she finished darkly. Grell growled and raced past his sister. He was just going to have to prove to his little sister that Sebastian loved him and only him once and for all.

**XXX**

Ciel grumpily flipped through his book while lounging on the couch in Sebastian's study. Said man was currently on the phone with someone. It sounded as if the demon was having a pleasant conversation with the individual based on Sebastian's facial expression and the tone of his voice. The butler gritted his teeth and attempted to concentrate on the text in front of his eyes. It was hard for the boy to focus on what he was reading, but he knew that Tanaka would be angry with him if he failed a test based on the material.

_Still…I do not understand the importance of learning about the proper etiquette and behavior of upper-class ladies. It is not as if I would ever be one…_

"I hope you are thoroughly studying that material. I would hate to have been a distraction during your study time," Sebastian commented. Ciel sighed before looking over his book at his smirking master.

"Who was that on the phone just now?" Ciel asked. Sebastian didn't respond; he merely turned his chair to face the window and thoughtfully looked at the scenery. A silence developed over the two; when Ciel sensed that Sebastian wasn't going to answer his question, he returned to reading his book. The demon glanced at his reading butler for a moment before he swiveled the chair in Ciel's direction.

_I believe now is the best time to discuss…__**that**__._

"I will be departing from this mansion tonight," Sebastian declared. The servant did his best not to look too interested in Sebastian's words as he flipped to the next page.

"Ah," he responded. When Sebastian didn't say anything more, Ciel boredly inquired, "What will the master need for this impromptu departure from the estate?" Sebastian smirked; whenever Ciel was really uninterested or not completely paying attention, he would speak in an unnecessarily formal tone of voice.

"Well, since I am attending a party, I'm going to need a change of clothes, a stagecoach, and you," Sebastian finished thoughtfully. Attention completely grabbed, Ciel lowered the book a few inches below his eyes so he could look at his master.

"Me? What do you need me for?" he asked suspiciously. Sebastian grabbed for an envelope on his desk and tossed it to his servant. Ciel caught the envelope and glanced at the back of it. His eyes widened slightly when he instantly recognized the royal seal. Realization suddenly hit the young butler. "Does this party have to do with…?" Ciel paused as he tried to remember the name of the man who was causing the Queen distress, "Viscount Druitt?" he finished. Sebastian nodded and leaned back in his chair to situate himself in a more comfortable position.

"You and I will be going undercover and infiltrating the Druitt estate during one of his many parties. It is fortunate my fiancée and his sister have such prominence in society when it comes to social events. I requested for my fiancée to use his influence, and he was able to guarantee us an invitation for this party tonight. It works out perfectly for us that tonight is the last night of the social season (1) since the goal of our investigation is to find incriminating evidence of the Viscount's criminal involvement in the underworld," Sebastian explained. Ciel completely put down his book to appraise his master.

"And how exactly are we going to do that? In case you haven't noticed, the Viscount is targeting young females," he pointed out. Sebastian smirked™ before winking at his butler.

"I have my sources; we will not have to worry about getting in contact with the Viscount. Our identities at the party of course will be completely different then who we really are," Sebastian stated mysteriously. Ciel quirked an eyebrow at Sebastian's vague response, but he was too excited by the thought of getting away from Grell and Madam Red for a few hours to question his demon master any further.

_Although the purpose for leaving the mansion again is for business reasons, I cannot help but to be a tad eager to get out of here. But wait a moment…that means I will be alone with Sebastian in both the stagecoach and at this party._

Ciel's attitude completely changed when that fact made itself known. He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at his smirking master. Sebastian, feeling more than seeing the boy's emotional change, looked curiously at the preteen.

"Is something the matter?"

"Are you sure I am **healthy** enough to accompany you? If I remember correctly, I am not even allowed to walk from my bed to the bathroom without having to be carried," Ciel said with a hint of venom. Sebastian chuckled softly at his servant's words and moved to reorganize some papers on his desk.

"Well, Madam Red says that since your condition has improved at such a quick rate that a little outside air shouldn't hinder your physical health. But if you are truly worried for your well-being, she will also be traveling with us to monitor you," Sebastian said. Ciel breathed an internal sigh of relief; that meant he wouldn't be alone with his demon master.

"Alright then…but does she have an alias as well?" Ciel inquired. Sebastian shook his head and frowned slightly.

"Even if I were to make one for her, she stands out too much for people **not** to notice her," Sebastian said in a vaguely annoyed tone of voice. Ciel smirked as he realized the truth of that statement. He didn't bother to ask whether Grell would be coming along or not. A slight pang shot through the boy's heart at the mental thought of Sebastian's fiancée's name.

_No, don't start thinking about such things. It is an unimportant issue that has long ago been resolved. I cannot continue to dwell on such trivial things…I am a __**butler**__ and that is it._

**BAM!**

"SEBASTIAN! Are you cheating on me with that little slut of a butler? Tell me it isn't true!" Grell screeched before launching himself at the sitting man. Both Sebastian and Ciel's eyes widened at the words that had just exited the death god's lips. The demon smoothly slid the chair to the side and allowed for his fiancée to hit the wall for the nth time since the red-haired man had came to visit. The immortal's eyes traveled to where his servant was sitting; they widened when all that was present on the couch was a book. The raven-haired man looked towards the door to find his servant quickly walking out of the room.

A flashback of the day they had their big fight appeared in Sebastian's mind. "Ciel-"

"Seeeeeeebby! Why must your love for me be so cruel?" Grell whined from his position on the floor. Ciel pretended not to hear his master's call of his name and exited the room. The child butler refused to sit on the couch and listen to his master lie to his fiancée, and he certainly didn't want to have to suffer through Grell's verbal abuse. An overwhelming feeling of exhaustion came over Ciel.

_Perhaps I should rest before-_

Ciel's thoughts were instantly cut off as a cloth bag was thrown over his head, shrouding his world in black.

**XXX**

Sebastian sighed as the door to his study clicked shut, leaving him alone with his fiancée. He looked down distastefully at the death god. The red-haired male picked himself up from the floor and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You know, your butler is really rude. He should know better than just to exit the room without specifically stating he was going to leave. You know what you should do Sebastian?" Grell asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes as he slowly smiled toothily. Sebastian didn't grace the reaper with a response to his question. Grell continued on unperturbed.

"You should fire that brat! He's not that important anyway; from what I've heard, he's rude, moody, and he doesn't know his place," when Grell's suggestion was met with a cold stare, the death god paused a little before nervously continuing, "Alright then…perhaps firing him is too big of a step. But how about punishing him in some way? It wouldn't hurt to give him a good smack or two…it's not as if he has to worry about any permanent marks on his face considering how unimportant he is…not to mention how ugly he is too," Grell finished smugly. Sebastian's eyes narrowed slightly at his fiancée's words. Grell pouted when he saw anger filter into his fiancé's blood-colored orbs.

"What are you getting angry for? It's not as if you actually care about that boy or anything, right? Because you love me and only me, your beautiful and red-covered fian-"

"Grell?" Sebastian cut in smoothly with a hint of hostility. The red-haired reaper instantly stopped talking. Sebastian charmingly smiled, "We need to talk."

**XXX**

Ciel was so confused that he was stiff with shock over what had been happening to him for the past few hours. After that bag had been thrown over his head, he had been restrained and dragged to an unknown location. Despite his struggles, his captors were able to hold him down and proceeded to rip off his clothes. When this had happened, Ciel had panicked and opened his mouth to scream for help, thinking he was about to be raped. A hand had been sharply clamped down over his mouth before being replaced with a cloth gag. Ciel, preparing for the worst, was shocked when instead of feeling the pain of someone entering inside of him, he felt the feeling of something smooth traveling up his legs to stop above the knee area. The sound of something snapping had alerted the boy's attention, especially since it appeared to be wrapped around his lower thigh and attached to whatever had been slipped onto both of his legs.

When he still didn't feel any pain, he became more suspicious and curious rather than frightened and desperate. Ciel was then shifted into a standing position, and his senses had heightened instantly when he had felt someone lifting one of his legs and slightly sliding something up, before lifting the other leg. Whatever the material was, it was open on the side, allowing for air to hit Ciel's covered leg. He had jerked slightly when he heard more snaps, closing off the air he had been feeling. His apprehension had increased again when he felt someone place something over his already-bag covered head. Again, confusion had been the dominant feeling as another material was placed on his top half. Whatever the material was, it was very loose and soft.

The thought had occurred to him that his captors must've been preparing him for something, and thinking that he was about to be humiliated before being raped, he began to struggle again. He had vaguely heard someone sigh before the gag around his mouth and the bag over his head had been quickly removed. His eyes had caught the sight of his own room before they were instantly shrouded in darkness again. Ciel had deduced that his captors had decided to place a blindfold over his eyes instead of a whole bag. He had sarcastically thought that his kidnappers were trying to make him more comfortable before doing whatever they were planning on doing to him.

Then, the pain had come. His entire torso was suddenly constricted by something he had never felt before. Whatever it was, it had continued to tighten, no matter how much Ciel struggled to get away from it. At one point, he had yelled, "My organs are going to come out!" That statement had only earned him a few short laughs from his tormenters. The torture device had continued to squeeze the boy's midsection, causing his breathing to become more stilted. When one of his tormenters decided he had been tortured enough, the device had no longer tightened. The dark-haired child's relief had been instantly cut off when he faintly heard the sound of a chainsaw being activated. Thinking he was about to be cut in half, he had moved to get away from his captors, only to find that his movement was heavily restricted by whatever his kidnappers had recently put on his body.

Someone had then restricted his arms from moving while the other person had proceeded with his/her plans. Ciel didn't feel anything on his clothed legs, but something was wrapped around his recently tortured waist. When Ciel had kicked out in an attempt to get the other person away from him, his feet had hit something metal. Confused again, Ciel had barely felt when yet another layer of material was slipped over his head. The boy had begun to wonder if his kidnappers were planning on drowning him in odd materials when he had felt something wrap around the metal thing that had been attached to his waist. He wasn't positive, but he had thought something else had been put over that material because he had heard rustling. Up to this point, his attackers hadn't spoken a word, but this time he had heard one of them ask a question, which was answered with a shushing sound. He had asked for the people's identities, but they didn't respond.

Which lead Ciel to the point where he was now.

He was currently in a standing position, and yet another item was being placed over his head. Only this one felt different than the others; his entire body was covered in whatever the thing was, except for his shoulders, the top half of his back and chest, and the majority of his arms. Ciel experimentally waved his arms to see if his attackers were trying to restrict his arm movement. He was surprised to find the material moved with the motion of his arms. One of his feet was suddenly grabbed and shoved into a shoe of some sort. He heard the sound of laces being tied before the same process occurred with the other foot.

_What exactly are these people planning to do with me?_

He gritted his teeth in pain when someone harshly grabbed his hair. The strands were tugged and clipped onto something. The weight of whatever had been clipped onto his hair wasn't enough to be considered torturous, it was just odd. "What exactly are you people doing? Release me at once," Ciel ordered coolly. A female giggle instantly caught Ciel's attention, and he whipped his head in the direction of the sound. His face was whacked by something soft and smooth…it almost felt like…

_Hair? They clipped hair onto my hair? What in the heck is going on here?_

His head was grabbed again, and Ciel felt what could have been a hat rest on his head. He began to panic again when he felt a cloth of some sort wrap around his throat. Thinking he was about to be choked, he reached up to rip off the latest thing that had been added to his body. His hands were instantly restricted. The butler stiffened when he felt something harshly rubbing each nail on both hands before feeling gloves slip onto his hands and up the majority of his arms. When the person suddenly grabbed his face and began rubbing something wet onto his cheeks, Ciel whipped his head from side to side, causing his attacker to sigh.

"Ciel, I can't finish if you keep moving so much," a female voice lamented. Ciel froze at the familiar voice.

"Madam Red?" he exclaimed incredulously. The red-haired death god smirked at the boy's frozen facial expression. At the speed that only an immortal female could do, Madam Red rubbed the remainder of the beet juice onto the boy's cheeks, dusted his nose with rice powder, and applied clear pomade to make Ciel's lips shine (2). She frowned slightly and nodded to one of her accomplices. The blindfold was untied from around Ciel's eyes, but the boy barely got a chance to adjust to the light of the room before a liquid was dropped into his normal eye. Ciel inhaled sharply and clapped his gloved hands over the burning eye.

"What the hell was that?" he hissed as his eye watered and burned. Madam Red sweetly smiled and waved a small bottle in her hand.

"Lemon juice. A woman, especially a young girl, should always have large and luminous eyes (3)," she commented good-naturedly. Ciel stiffened at the death god's words. He experimentally blinked his eye a few times before glancing at himself in the mirror.

No words could describe how shocked Ciel was by his current appearance.

Ciel gaped at himself…in a dress…a **pink** dress…a big, ruffled, pink dress. The dress revealed his shoulders and a little bit of the top of his chest, but not enough to be scandalous. It sported a large pink flower in the center of his chest, and it fit his form to accentuate his slim waist. Right underneath where his waist was located, the dress suddenly ballooned out. Not enough to be ridiculous, but Ciel knew there was no natural way that the dress could fall like that. He was so horrified by the sight of himself dressed in a woman's attire, his eyes traveled up to his face. The tugging he had felt on his hair had been due to two twin pigtails that cascaded down to the small of his back. A pink hat was tilted slightly to the right side of the boy's head, covering Ciel's eye-patch with three pink roses. Around his neck was a pink and white-ruffled choker. Ciel's cobalt-colored eye did in fact look a little brighter due to the drop of lemon juice Madam Red had so kindly put into it.

_Oh…my… She put makeup on me?_

Ciel's eyes roamed over his slightly redder than normal cheeks, his glistening lips, and his powdered nose. The boy couldn't even recognize himself anymore!

_I look like a girl!_

Madam Red clicked her teeth with approval before clapping her hands happily. "You look so cute Ciel! If Lizzy were here now, she wouldn't even be able to recognize you!" the red-haired noblewoman commented approvingly. Ciel growled and slowly turned to face the immortal.

"Of course she wouldn't recognize me! I'M DRESSED LIKE A GIRL!" Ciel hollered in disbelief. The red-haired death god's face took on a contemplative look before she smiled happily.

"That's a good thing Ciel! You look like a very cute girl. Ah, I'm so jealous of how adorable you are!" she squealed before suddenly pressing the boy to her well-endowed chest in an enthusiastic hug. Ciel simultaneously frowned and blushed at both the action and the woman's words.

"Let go of me!" Ciel protested. The death god pouted before reluctantly releasing the mortal child. She shook her head with disapproval and motioned for her assistants to come out from the shadows. Ciel's eyes widened when he saw Maylene, Finny, Bard, and Tanaka.

"Apparently you don't believe my words Ciel. Everyone," she looked over her shoulder at the three awkwardly standing and the one comfortably sitting servants, "Doesn't Ciel look cute?" she asked. The look in her eyes challenged any of the four adults to say no. Bard, Finny, and Maylene quickly nodded their heads in agreement while Tanaka merely gave three ho ho ho's of approval. Ciel's look at his fellow servants screamed, 'Traitors'. The boisterous female cocked her head to the side at Ciel's look of anger.

"Are you unhappy about something?" she asked. Ciel gaped at her disbelief.

"Why would I be happy about being told I'm cute when I'm dressed like this?" Ciel lifted one part of the dress to accentuate his point. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared the immortal god down. "Why didn't you give me some sort of warning instead of making me think I was being kidnapped?" he asked moodily. Madam Red smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"I thought it would be more fun to do it that way," she answered cheerfully. Ciel was slightly put off by her response until he remembered that this woman's favorite hobby was to witness death. "Besides, it's not as if you would've willingly agreed to wear such an outfit if I had merely asked you to," she pointed out. Ciel rolled his eyes and placed his hands on his hips.

"You honestly didn't think that if you abducted me that I would actually continue to wear this, did you?" Ciel asked haughtily. Madam Red sighed forlornly before sitting down on Ciel's bed. Maylene, Finny, Bard, and Tanaka managed to quietly slip out of the door to avoid what was sure to be a thorough scolding by the 12 year old butler. The boy sighed before he began peeling off one of the arm length black gloves. Madam Red glanced at the young child before looking at the door.

"This is very disappointing. Sebastian had told me things would most likely turn out like this…" the death god said in a slightly depressed tone of voice. Ciel froze at the mention of the other man's name before a dry smirk developed on his face.

_Of course that __**bastard **__would be behind this whole charade…_

It all made sense to Ciel now; studying the behavior of upper-class women, the demon's secretiveness regarding their undercover identities, the impromptu trip to London a few weeks ago…

_Although I do care that the Queen is distressed, even __**I**__ have my limits to how far I will go to quell her worries._

The red-eyed woman glanced at Ciel as he slipped the other glove off of his hand. "I expected such a reaction from such a prideful human boy…I guess I didn't want Sebastian's time and effort to go to waste," she stated. Ciel's movements stopped as he turned to appraise the sitting immortal.

"Time and effort? Madam, what exactly are you talking about?" he asked in a polite tone of voice. The red-haired woman leaned back on her hands and smiled softly.

"When you suggested that my brother and I accompany Sebastian to London, we assisted him in picking out an outfit for both of you to wear when you go undercover. It took a relatively short amount of time to find something for your master to wear. However," she paused as a look of reflection formed on her face, "when it came to picking out your outfit, it was a completely different story. All three of us searched high and low; Sebastian more than both Grell and I combined. But no matter what I or Grell brought to his attention, he seemed to be looking for something more specific. He was positively obsessed with finding the perfect attire for you. Then, when he finally found it, he looked so delighted that neither I nor my brother could be angry with him for not choosing one of the dresses we had picked out," Madam Red finished softly.

Ciel was positively stunned by the woman's words. He had been a tad suspicious that Sebastian had had something to do with what he was currently wearing, but he hadn't known that his demon master had taken such pains to choose it for him. A feeling of warmth settled in his chest at the thought that the other man hadn't just chosen this dress on a mere whim. He had actually taken a lot of time just for him. Some of that warmth must've settled on Ciel's cheeks because a secretive smile was spreading on Madam Red's face.

"What's this I see? Do you like the idea of Sebastian thinking about you so much?" she asked in a teasing tone of voice. Ciel huffed and fought down the blood that rushed to his face.

"Of course not; he is an idiot for doing such things for a servant like me. I'm just embarrassed by the fact that I'm actually going to be wearing this out in public," Ciel hastily added as he shoved the gloves back onto his hands. The red-eyed reaper smiled softly at the clearly pleased child. A chuckle suddenly came from the open doorway. Ciel's ears perked up at the different sound.

"Well that is a relief. It would've made all of my hard work an utter waste of time, energy, and power," the voice said. If Ciel didn't know any better, he could've sworn he had heard a hint of his master's tone in the anonymous person's voice. But that was impossible because whoever was speaking sounded like a boy about Ciel's own age. Ciel turned around when he heard the click of heels. Madam Red's eyebrow quirked before a small smile formed on her lipstick-covered lips. "However, if you are really going to go out in public dressed like that, you have to not only look the part, but **sound** the part as well," the person said. No sooner did those words exit the anonymous person's mouth did the person reveal himself.

Ciel's eyes nearly popped out of his head at the sight before him.

Whoever this person was, he was clearly wealthy. The newcomer was dressed in a finely tailored and recently pressed tuxedo. It was black and came with a tailcoat whose tails ended at the back of the stranger's knees. The boy's dress shirt was a pure white, and each black button on its vest was shining. Perched on the boy's head was a black top hat, and in the boy's left hand was a brand new black cane. But it wasn't the boy's obvious wealth that stunned Ciel; it was his uncanny likeness to Sebastian. The boy standing in the doorway had the exact same hairstyle and hair color as Ciel's demon master. The pale boy's eyes were as red as Sebastian's, his mouth was set in a smirk similar to Sebastian's, and his facial structure looked **just** like Sebastian's. The only differences were that the boy's face was slightly rounder and fuller than his adult look alike, his eyes were a tad bigger, and of course, he was **much** shorter than Ciel's master.

_It can't be…_

"Sebastian?" Ciel asked in an incredulous tone of voice. The child version of Sebastian chuckled before fully stepping into the room. He wagged a gloved finger at Ciel and smirked.

"Now now, we can't have little mishaps like that occurring while we are undercover. Please, do call me Lucas," Sebastian requested pleasantly. Ciel barely heard his master speak; he was too busy trying to wrap his mind around the fact that the man he had grown so used to seeing was now a preteen just like him. The seductive baritone voice still held a hint of its former seductiveness, but it was much higher than Ciel was used to. But even in his master's current form, he was a few inches taller than Ciel, which only served to piss off the shorter boy.

"Wh-Why do you look like that?" he asked with shock. Sebastian blinked at the boy's stuttered question before pointing at Madam Red.

"In order for us to go undercover, I had to completely convert into my role as her niece's date. I thought it improper for a grown man to be taking a young girl to a dance, so I decided to look like this," Sebastian explained. Ciel looked slightly confused before realization hit him. He slowly turned to glare at the smiling woman.

"Why exactly am I your **niece**?" he asked dangerously. Madam Red clapped her hands together happily before standing up from the bed.

"Because I always wanted to have a cute daughter," she responded. Ciel bristled at the comment and was ready to tell off the immortal female but Madam Red cut him off. "Now Sebastian, in order for this to work, you two need to not only look the part, but you also need to act the part as well. An actor truly becomes an actor when he **becomes** his role," Madam Red instructed. The red-haired woman looked at Ciel and smiled brightly. "Now Ciel, you must change the tone of your voice so you sound like a young female," she stated. Ciel growled and narrowed his eyes at the woman.

"Absolutely not," he growled out. The death god sighed before a sly look settled on her face.

"Well then, it will be most unfortunate when partygoers discover that the Michaelis house's butler decided to play a little dress up. I can only imagine the gossip that will fly throughout the upper class community…"

Ciel flushed at the very idea of people talking about him dressing up as a woman. He reluctantly sighed and put down his head. When he lifted his gaze, it was as if a completely different person inhabited the boy's body. Both Madam Red and Sebastian's eyes widened at the boy's seemingly innocent facial expression and brightly sparkling eye.

"Auntie Angelina," Ciel said in a soft and effeminate tone of voice, "How does this sound?" he asked. Sebastian smirked before moving beside Ciel. Ciel gasped when a hand snaked around his waist and pulled him towards his master. The dress-wearing male rested his hands on Sebastian's chest to create some distance between them. He looked up and locked eyes with the preteen-version of Sebastian.

"Absolutely lovely," Sebastian said in a slightly lower and huskier tone of voice. Ciel blushed at both his master's words and the intimate position he was currently being held in. It felt completely different to not have to bend his head all the way back to look up at his master's face. Now, Sebastian was so much shorter that the ends of his long bangs were lightly brushing Ciel's makeup covered cheeks. Ciel's heart pounded and his breathing became shallower as he continued to gaze into Sebastian's crimson depths. When Ciel remembered there was another person in the room, he quickly pushed himself away from his master and turned to look at Madam Red. He awkwardly coughed into his hand and gave her a questioning look.

"What about you? You aren't honestly going to be wearing that to the Viscount's party, are you?" Ciel asked in his regular voice. The physician smirked before suddenly snapping her fingers. Ciel's eyes widened to comic proportions as the Madam's outfit shifted into a flowing red gown. The entire top half of the woman's chest and back was exposed due to the fact that the dress was strapless. Where the dress first began, there was a fringe of black feathers. She had a black choker necklace with sparkling diamonds dripping from its ends, a stylish red hat with a wide brim and a black feather sticking from the side, and a pair of black gloves that went slightly past the elbow area. She snapped her fingers again and a red and black frilled fan appeared in between her gloved fingers.

"Of course not! Do you realize the sheer amount of damage my social reputation would suffer if I were to wear such an outfit to the last party of the social season?" she asked in a scandalized tone of voice. Sebastian rolled his eyes at his future sister-in-law and pulled out Ciel's pocket watch from the pocket of the boy's forgotten pants.

"If we are to arrive at a suitable time, which would be when the party is in full swing, so that we may sneak in without attracting too much attention, then now would be the best time for us to depart," Sebastian remarked seriously. Ciel didn't even get a chance to ask the Madam how she had been able to change her clothes in such a way before Sebastian was making his way towards the door. The boy dutifully followed after his transformed master.

"Wait you two!" Madam Red called out. The two males stopped at the woman's call and turned to acknowledge they had heard her. The female reaper frowned before walking to stand in front of the two boys. "If you two are supposed to be on a date, then you have to act like it," she said in a slightly scolding tone of voice. Without warning, she grabbed Sebastian's right wrist and Ciel's left wrist and forced them to hold hands with each other. She smiled brightly before releasing her hold on the males' wrists. "There we go! Awww! You two look so cute together!" she squealed with brightly shining eyes. Ciel growled and looked at the wall out of embarrassment. The blank look on Sebastian's child-like face was quickly replaced with a seductive smirk. He released Ciel's hand and wrapped his arm around the boy's cinched-in waist. Ciel looked up at Sebastian as if he had lost his mind.

"Now then, shall we go…Fiona?" he asked politely. Ciel was very close to smacking the man in the face for giving him such a feminine name, but Sebastian moved so quickly that the boy was left completely breathless. Sebastian led his "date" through the manor and out the front door, where two stagecoaches were patiently waiting for the people they were to escort. Ciel blinked at the sight of their rides and looked up at his sharply dressed master.

"Why are there two stagecoaches? I thought Madam Red was going to be accompanying us…who else is coming?" he asked curiously. Sebastian smiled down at his cross-dressing butler.

"Well, considering that you are supposedly Madam Red's niece from the countryside, it would only make sense that she and you would be traveling in different coaches, no?" Sebastian reasoned. Ciel's eyes widened at the hidden meaning behind the demon's words.

_I still have to travel alone with him?_

Madam Red came shortly behind the two males and placed her hands on her hips. "Now you two, make sure you do not do anything to mess up your current appearances on the way to the party," Madam Red said in a teasing tone of voice. Ciel flushed at the woman's suggestion and moved out of Sebastian's hold.

"Hmph, absolute nonsense; **nothing** of that sort will occur along the way," Ciel said more to Sebastian than to Madam Red. Sebastian merely smiled at Ciel's words before holding out his hand. Ciel looked at the limb with distrust before the demon spoke.

"Fiona, I must lead you to the stagecoach like any proper gentleman would," Sebastian said playfully. Ciel gritted his teeth and contemplated on ending his involvement with this undercover operation. But true to his word, Ciel was going to have to continue his role as the Queen's Watchdog's partner; therefore, he had no choice. With a reluctant sigh, Ciel gently placed his hand in Sebastian's outstretched one. The demon smirked before leading the boy down the steps of his mansion and to the stagecoach. Madam Red followed them to their stagecoach before turning to go to the one parked in front of the one they were currently standing in front of.

"I should arrive about fifteen minutes before you two. I will meet with you guys as soon as you arrive," Madam Red said seriously. Ciel and Sebastian nodded their heads at her words, and Madam Red went to the other stagecoach. The driver of the coach that would be transporting Ciel and Sebastian smiled at the pair before obediently opening the door. Sebastian stepped to the side and assisted Ciel with getting into the coach. Ciel snatched his hand from the immortal's grip as soon as both of his feet were safely in the vehicle. Sebastian acted as if nothing had happened and flashed the man a kind smile before getting into the coach as well. The driver closed the door once he was sure that both passengers were seated comfortably on the bench. Ciel could faintly hear the sound of the other stagecoach departing; he deduced that their driver would wait for about fifteen minutes before pulling off.

Ciel glanced over at the younger version of his master. He was truly curious as to how Sebastian was able to change his form in such a drastic way. _Does it take a lot of power? Is that how he really looked as a child when he was human? How long is he going to be able to maintain that form? I hope it's for a relatively long length of time, considering the fact that this party will most likely continue until the wee hours of the morning. Not only that, who knows how long it's going to take for us to find incriminating evidence against the Viscount…_

"Madam Red truly outdid herself this time. I could hardly recognize you when I first entered the room earlier this evening," Sebastian commented with slight awe. Ciel lightly blushed at the man's words and crossed his arms over his chest.

"**I **could barely recognize myself; honestly, why did I have to be the one dressed like this?" Ciel asked with slight annoyance. Sebastian charmingly smiled before adjusting the hat on his head.

"For seduction purposes of course; I may be adept when it comes to dealing with the opposite sex, but dealing with men is completely foreign to me," he responded cheerfully. Ciel growled and whirled to face the other boy.

"And I'm any better at it?" he asked defensively. Sebastian's eyes lidded as he looked at his partner.

"You've seduced me many times before…right now would be one of those instances," he responded seriously. Ciel gulped and scooted a little bit farther from the other man. He glared at Sebastian before smoothing out the front of his dress.

"You are so insufferable sometimes master; can you **not** think about something perverted for a few minutes? It's even creepier when you say such things while in that form," Ciel said before pointedly looking at the demon. Sebastian cocked his head to the side before he looked down at his finely dressed self.

"I believe I still spoke the same way when I really was 12 years old," he remarked thoughtfully. Ciel blinked at the man's response.

"You remember when you were 12?" he asked with slight curiosity. Sebastian shook his head before leaning back against the bench.

"Mentally, I do not remember anything about myself as a human, let alone when I was a child. My body, however, has the ability to take on the forms it previously held…it is something that only Semihominis' like myself can accomplish because we are so unstable. We are not so unstable, however, that we can change our gender. Of course, it still requires an immense of power, but do not worry, I should be able to last for the majority of the night," Sebastian reassured calmly.

"So can purebloods revert back to their forms when they were children?" Ciel asked, natural inquisitiveness starting to take over.

"No, because remember, based on the hierarchy Liberi and Purebloods are two different categories. In other words, once a Liberi becomes an adult demon, he or she is stuck in his or her adult form until the day of his or her death," Sebastian explained. The demon held out a hand in front of himself and analyzed it for a moment. "It feels odd to be so small…" he said with a hint of wonder. Ciel rolled his eyes at the statement; in comparison, Sebastian was still taller than him, so if the immortal male felt small, Ciel felt miniscule.

"Anyway, how exactly am I supposed to…seduce the Viscount?" Ciel asked with a shudder. Sebastian looked over at his shuddering servant before he used the hand he had previously been analyzing to gently turn Ciel's face in his direction. The two boys looked at each other as one tried to figure out the other's thoughts.

"I don't believe it will take a lot of effort on your part. You just have to make yourself known without giving off the vibe that you are trying to draw attention to yourself," Sebastian said softly. Ciel nodded and moved to push Sebastian's hand from his face, but suddenly the demon snaked another hand around his waist and pulled him towards his body. Ciel gasped as his face was pressed into the other male's chest. Sebastian buried his face in Ciel's hair and inhaled, causing the boy to shiver. "Mmm, you smell so nice Ciel. I want to devour you right now," Sebastian whispered lustfully. Ciel struggled to get out of the other boy's unnaturally strong hold; apparently, looks were very deceiving. Ciel had thought that since Sebastian was in a younger form, he would lose his manly strength.

_So much for that…_

Ciel squeaked with both embarrassment and shock when Sebastian's hand slipped from his face and traveled down the front of his dress. The boy's gloved fingers were like drops of liquid fire as they brushed across Ciel's bare skin and the expensive material of his dress. The dark-haired child's eyes widened when Sebastian flicked out a tongue to lick the shell of his ear.

"A-Ah! Master…let m-me go!" Ciel protested in a shaking voice. Sebastian smirked before he began planting kisses along the boy's jaw. Ciel gritted his teeth as sensations he hadn't felt in a long time began traveling through his trembling body. But even though the man turned boy was doing the same actions as when they used to engage in such acts together, it just didn't feel the same to Ciel. The man's words kept replaying in his head as the demon kissed the boy's exposed shoulders and sensually rubbed his body through the dress. Ciel's breathing increased as his eyes fluttered at the pleasure his sexually deprived body was receiving. When he felt Sebastian smirk against his neck, one word burst through Ciel's consciousness.

_Whore…you are nothing but Sebastian's whore. All he wants is to fuck you and then he will return to his fiancée with absolutely no regrets. And like a good little whore, you will accept the fact that he doesn't care for you and will greedily accept every touch on your skin and every thrust into your entrance with no qualms whatsoever. And you know why? Because you are nothing but a __**whore**__._

Ciel's eyes snapped open, and he began to push even harder against his sex-craving master. "Damn it, g-get off of me! No means no," Ciel said coldly. But Sebastian wouldn't stop; the demon was finally getting a taste of something he had been denied for so long. It was asinine in his lust-filled mind to stop now. Ciel bit his bottom lip and squeezed his eyes shut when he felt the coach begin to move. Even if he wanted to escape now, there was no way he could jump out of a moving vehicle. "Stop it Master!" Ciel yelled angrily. He bit his lip even harder when Sebastian pushed him down onto the bench. The boy was really starting to become frightened now.

_Is Sebastian going to rape me? No…this isn't rape because I secretly want this. And he knows that…he knows that I'm nothing but a whore. I'm just his personal little whore…a quick fuck…a personal sex toy…his __**whore**__._

Ciel squeezed his eyes shut as his heart started to pound painfully at the thoughts that swirled in his mind. "Sebastian…st-stop," Ciel breathed out before opening his eyes. Sebastian really did stop when he saw the raw hurt reflected in the boy's wavering cerulean eye. The demon was hurting Ciel…Sebastian froze as the truth suddenly slapped him in the face. Ciel's bottom lip quivered when he saw the look on Sebastian's face. Thinking the demon was shocked that he had resisted, Ciel yelled out, "I'm not a whore damn it, so stop treating me like one!"

Both Sebastian and Ciel froze at the words that had been released into the air. Sebastian blinked down at his glaring partner. It all now made sense to the demon as to why Ciel had been acting the way he had been for the past few weeks. Ciel was attempting to catch his breath from the combination of the restricting corset, his outburst, and his body's recovery from its sexual high. The demon softly smiled, causing Ciel's anger to flare. Ciel was about to yell for the driver to stop when a shout was suddenly heard from outside. Sebastian quickly got off of the dress-wearing child and looked out the window. Ciel slowly sat up from his position on the bench and did his best to straighten out his appearance and emotional state.

Sebastian's powerful eyes instantly located the source of the shout. He sighed before moving from his position on the bench. Ciel warily watched his moving demon master as the immortal knocked on the wall to alert the driver to stop. Slowly, the coach came to a halt.

"Master, what is going on?" Ciel asked. Sebastian didn't answer the boy's question; he merely moved to the door of the vehicle and threw it open. Ciel's eyes widened at the familiar face; he had met him once before when he and Sebastian had been investigating the case of Jack the Ripper.

"Investigator Aberlain?" Ciel asked in a shocked tone of voice. Aberlain blinked at the call of his name and looked to see a cute upper-class girl sitting on the bench. Sebastian smirked at the man's confused facial expression.

"Aberlain, I do believe you are already acquainted with my butler, Ciel Phantomhive," Sebastian said politely. The policeman's eyes widened in disbelief.

"That's a boy?" he exclaimed in disbelief. Ciel bristled at the comment and coldly glared at the investigator. Sebastian chuckled, attracting the Scotland Yard official's attention.

"He is currently in disguise, as am I," he responded charmingly. Aberlain looked at the young boy who was standing in the entryway to the coach with a commanding aura about him. The policeman smiled kindly.

"Well then, you both have certainly done excellent jobs with your disguises. I can barely recognize you guys!" he said with honesty. Sebastian smiled and graciously accepted the man's praise. A serious look formed on Ciel's face before he crossed his legs.

"Anyway, what exactly was your purpose for stopping us? You are interfering with our investigation," Ciel stated coolly, still a little sore from the policeman's earlier comment. Aberlain, sensing the boy's attitude, nervously smiled.

"I have been sent by Lord Randall to assist you two in your investigation this evening," the investigator said seriously. Sebastian smirked at the man's response.

"By assist, you mean monitor to make sure our actions are within the limits of the law, correct?" he asked. Aberlain neither confirmed nor denied Sebastian's statement. The demon sighed at the change in plans and stepped away from the doorway.

"Very well then; although I did not have any explicit ideas or intentions to do something against the surface world law, I will adjust for the sake of the Queen," Sebastian said dutifully. Aberlain smiled weakly before awkwardly climbing into the coach. Sebastian tapped the wall separating the driver from the party, and the stagecoach lurched forward. Aberlain sat on the bench opposite Ciel and Sebastian; Ciel felt even more uncomfortable now that it was no longer just Sebastian looking at him in such attire.

"Aberlain, I do hope you don't plan to attract attention to yourself…especially considering your current state of dress," Sebastian commented politely. Aberlain blinked before he placed a hand over his brown trench coat.

"Oh! I'm wearing a suit underneath this; as I said before, I am here to assist you two with the investigation," he said in a nonthreatening tone of voice. Sebastian smirked™ before he explained to the newcomer the basics of his plan. Ciel listened intently to the duties of his role; on the outside, he looked generally disinterested, but on the inside he was panicking at the thought of getting the Viscount to be in a room alone with him. If all went according to Sebastian's plan, the Viscount would be in Scotland Yards' hands by the end of the evening.

Ciel felt nervousness settle in the pit of his stomach, causing his mouth to go dry. Sebastian, sensing the change in Ciel's mood, moved to comfort the child, but the stagecoach came to another sudden stop. Aberlain glanced out the window and turned to the two children with a smile.

"We're here."

* * *

(1): **Alrighty, so apparently, London's social season (also known as, The Season) occurs (yes, there is still a season, it's just not as prominent) during the time that Parliament is in session. So, the season ranges from about the end of Christmas to the end of June, but I've also read that it can range from April to August. For the purpose of my story, I chose the second option, so right now, the last night of the Season is the last day of August. It was known as a somewhat courting special, since it was the time when young men and young women would be looking for potential husbands and wives. In a way, it was the time for those in the upperclass to brag about what they had, how good their kids looked, and an excuse to party all night long. xD**

(2): **Believe it or not, all of the things listed before this number were actually what Victorian women and young ladies wore as makeup. At this time, wearing heavy makeup or just makeup in general was something that only prostitues and actresses did (the term was used interchangeably for both parties), so any makeup worn by a respectable women was made to look natural, or nonexistent. Hence, the beet juice was used to add a little color to the cheeks, the rice powder was used to make the nose look better, and clear pomade (which is surprisingly a type of gel that was used to hold hair in place) was added to the lips to make them look shinier and fuller (therefore more delectable xD).**

(3): **I died laughing when I read this, but a few drops of lemon juice were indeed dropped into Victorian womens' eyes to make them look more luminous, because it was a sign of health and beauty. I've never done that before, but I can just imagine the amount of pain Ciel and those ladies had to endure just to make their eyes shinier.**

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**J-C: And there you guys have it! Yet another finished chapter; believe it or not, this arc is almost over! It literally has 2 more chapters and then it's on to the next arc (which will probably be the longest arc of this whole story)! I don't know about you guys, but I'm absolutely pumped to get on with the next chapter!**

**~Sasuke~ You may be pumped up, but are you forgetting that you still have homework to do during the weekday?**

**Naruto: And extracurricular activities/volunteer opportunities to participate in?**

**J-C: *sighs* As you can see my dear readers, I really do love writing for this story, but because of my need to overachieve (and because my parents want me to actually not be a writer as a career), I'm super busy! But I'm not too busy to read your guys' reviews! ^-^ I swear, whenever I have a bad day at school, I just have to read your guys' reviews and my mood is instantly improved! The fact that so many of you guys are so supportive of everything that I've done with this story makes me feel all happy inside! So thank you for improving my daily life with your words. It was funny because one of my buddies asked me why I bother to respond to your guys' reviews, and I just said, "Because if I didn't, then they would feel unimportant or I would feel like I'm being a snob. Plus, they took the time to write down their thoughts. The least I can do is respond to those thoughts!" So the point of that story is...PLZ REVIEW! ^-^ Favoriting and story alerting my story are nice too, but I like knowing what my readers think and feel. It makes me feel as if I'm actually connecting with you guys; even if its just one word or a whole page long, I appreciate each and every one. So plz review (my anonymous reviewers from last time: your responses are at the bottom of this A/N)! Welp, I'm off to bed now, so I'll see you guys in another 2 weeks! ^-^**

**Ja ne for now! ^-^**

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missjasmin: **I'm glad to hear that you liked the 14th chapter so much! It makes me really happy to hear that you were happy to see an update! It makes all my hours of writing and editing totally worth it! ^-^ I will give you more soon, so be on the look out for it! Thanks so much for reviewing again! ^-^**

hitomi-chanchan: **Lolz, really? That's an interesting comparison! I'm happy that my story could be medicine for your soul! That's some serious love for my story though...I'm glad you love it so much! Thankies so much for the interesting metaphor and for your review! ^0^**

Assasin of Secrecy: **OMG, I was just wondering about where you had went! Glad to see you reviewing my story again! ^-^ Awww, I'm sorry that you had to suffer through such a bully...I'm currently experiencing the same treatment, so I honestly feel your pain...school is such a drag sometimes. :( Lolz, I'm glad to see that you liked Chapters 11 and 12 so much! I had lots of fun writing them, even though I had to hurt Ciel...a lot...along the way. But I think if I had watched your reactions based on what you wrote in your review, I would have totally lol the whole time. ^-^ Glad that you thought my gore was necessary and not just pointless gross stuff. ^-^ And oh my goodness, ZERO! Ah, I love him; he's like Ciel in vampire form I swear...ahem, anyhoo, I didn't realize that the gun I wrote in my story and Zero's gun looked exactly the same! I was wondering where I had seen something like that before... Anyhoo, holy snap you're Filipino? I have a Filipino buddy at my school; he's pretty funny too so yeah... Oooh, that sounds yummy! *munches happily* I'm glad I could get you hooked on to Chapter 13 like that. I wanted it to be the drama type of action that got you hooked instead of the action type of action, so hooray (for accomplishing my secret writing goal)! The answer to your question will pretty much be answered as the arc continues. ;) Ahaha, that's a funny observation. I didn't even notice that and I'm the one writing the thing! xD Sorry chica... *pats head* If I ever get inspiration for them again, I will reupload them onto the site. Oh my goodness! I hope that person is okay... um, anyhoo, yeah Chapter 14 was kinda a cool down chapter...didn't want to blow people's minds from all the different types of action that had been taking place. ;) Teehee, don't worry; more of Ciel's past will be revealed as this story progresses, I promise. ^-^ Ahaha, that's an epic fact; thanks for writing two pages worth of a review! Thankies for reviewing again period buddy! ^0^**

Ailea Creed: **Seriously, what a dipwad! Claude can go burn in hell for all I care! *gets angry at just the memory of the guy* *looks at picture* Oh my goodness! That's so amazingly drawn that my anger at Claude has completely disappeared! xD My buddy downloaded that pic and has it on her iPod Touch. She thinks its really well-drawn as well! Teehee, and thankies for advocating for my story with that pic! *huggles* Welcome to college; lolz, I'm glad that you are enjoying your experience so far! And don't worry if your review is a little short; I appreciate the effort! ^-^ Hmm...I can't seem to see your username...if you typed a url or something, don't add the www or .com/org/gov or whatever is at the end because fanfic will take it away. Just PM me your username and let the chat sessions begin! xD Lolz, that's a perfect explanation for this chapter! I didn't want to have people killing themselves from the sheer amount of angst, hence why this chapter was more of a reflection kinda thing. Teehee, I giggle insanely when I think of them dancing...too cute! ^0^ *smirks* Oh yeah, Sebby and Ciel are gonna have tons of fun in the next chapter! Ahaha, fangasm; what a word! Glad I could cause that! ;) Ja ne for now and thankies for reviewing again! ^0^**

Kuro Neko-chan: **Glad to see you so pumped to read the 14th chapter! *smirks* Yes, Sebastian is going through quite a bout of torture at the moment. Shopping with Madam Red and Grell must be causing Sebby to lose his mind...well that, and Ciel's resistance to his charms. xD Seriously, Ciel does need a hug; too bad he doesn't like being touched. :( *pats his head* Ahaha, sorry for that mental image; I'm sure a piece of Sebastian's mind died at the thought of Grell wearing something see-through as well. And even though I'm a girl, I probably act like Sebastian when it comes to shopping. I can't stand it! The lines...the standing...the options...just bleh, I feel drained when I do shopping of any kind. -_- Anyhoo, Ciel just cannot catch a break! Even in my story, he's still being tortured by his past and images of Sebastian and Grell kissing... *shudders at the thought* Hey, at least I didn't describe that part... ^-^' Whew, it's a relief to hear that you could clearly visualize the dance scene (it was kinda important considering that it was the name of the chapter and all... xD). Oh my, really? That's really interesting that you were able to both practice and perform such actions for people. I've never had to practice but now that I know what to do, hopefully I will be able to help somebody if they're in trouble. Lolz, yeah when it comes to Sebastian and Ciel, it's pointless to try and make them see the truth once their minds are made up. ^-^ Oh my goodness! I have that picture too! It totally inspired my idea to make Sebastian take care of Ciel...oh dear, if I keep writing scenes just from random ideas in my head, I fear for the rest of this story. O.o *punches air* Hooray for getting medical terms right! Google rocks my socks again! xD Peeshaw, your mom is cool in comparison to mine. If my dad found out, he probably wouldn't care, but my mom would freak! I really wanna see that pic so hopefully you can show it to me one day! *makes puppy eyes* Ahaha, that's a good point. I wonder if I could teach my cat to have good taste in men. She's so lazy; all she does is sleep... Lolz, I'm not a big fan of Claude either but after Sebastian gave him a good punch in the gut, my hate for him lessened slightly. Anyhoo, I will wrap up this long response with my customary thank you and a promise to update as soon as I can! Thankies for reviewing! ^0^**

lazytosignin: **But if Ciel isn't sick, then there's no use for smexxi Doctor!Sebastian. Ciel, be sick for the next chapter so my random fetish can be fulfilled. xD Awww, I'm so happy that I've yet to disappoint you with any of my updates. I will do my best to continue with that streak of updates that make you happy! ^-^ Ahaha, I'm doing my best to keep my updates on time, so hopefully I can continue to do that as well. ^-^ As for the whole SebaCiel vs Sebastian x Grell thing, you shall just have to read to find out. ;) Oooh, that's a good question that I actually do have the answer to! Because I can't stand Hannah and the triplets never talk, IF I do add any characters from the 2nd season, it would just be Alois and Claude; and of course, they would have completely different roles in my story. ^-^ Thankies for being so supportive of my future decisions and of my story! Clearly you aren't that lazy because you still left me a review (which I greatly appreciate). Thankies so much for reviewing! ^0^**

LittleCopperRidingHood15: **Good! I'm glad that I could make one person happy with the events in this chapter! ^-^ Aw, I'm sorry that I made you react like that *is secretly pleased because that means her describing skills are getting better*! It's only gonna get worse as more of Ciel's past is revealed. :( Yay for liking the dancing scene! I accomplished my main goal for Chapter 14! ^0^ Oooh, as I reread that line, I was almost about to ask if I had actually written that. I swear, I wonder where my brain comes up with half of the stuff it does... Oh my goodness, the image of Sebastian getting jumped by Ciel is making me laugh so hard right now! xD *squeals* I loved Junjou Romantica! I recently got one of my buddies into it too... lolz, I just realized how much of a Misaki inspired line that was...once again, my brain comes up with some interesting stuff sometimes. ^-^ Glad I could make you laugh with Madam Red's entrance. I was originally going to have Sly make an appearance again, but I decided against it since he was having lots of screen time while Madam Red was barely having any. Hooray for more of her involvement! xD Dearie, I know exactly how it felt to be sick, so I'm glad that I could make you feel better! I hope you had a good night's sleep. Thankies for reviewing again chica! ^-^**

The Cannibalistic Dynasty: **Lolz, wow! I'm glad I could pull such an amazing feat off! ^-^ *sniffles happily* Thankies for saying such a kind thing! I'm so happy to hear that you like my story so much! ^0^ That is a good point you made there; but I don't think I could show Sebastian and Grell getting married because then I could possibly be murdered by some of my more dedicated SebaCiel readers. *nervously laughs* I will do my best to update as soon as I can! Thankies for your review! ^-^**

melianstorm: **Good evening (right now, it's 1 am but it's night time so yea...)! Ahaha, yes Sebastian is being crapped on by the universe...what else is new? Poor sex-deprived little demon... xD Oooh, when you put it that way, Ciel's situation does sound quite bleak. I must make sure not to accidentally kill him off in my story...but that is a good point about his revenge. Teehee, and yes it does sound perverted, but then again, I am a pervert so anything that could be completely innocent will sound perverted to me. ;) Lolz, that's so funny! Ciel's bad dancing is now part of my list of Kuroshitsuji trademarks. Ahaha, Ciel in a box (they really gotta make some toys with that theme xD)! ^0^ If you think about, Sebastian's pretty much been a hot senior citizen since Kuroshitsuji first started...but I prefer to think of him as the hot 25 year old male that we all have seen and fallen in love with. ;) I bet pride tastes nasty and sticky...that's why it's so hard for people to swallow it sometimes. ;) Lolz, your comments to the scenes in the 14th chapter are just too hilarious for words! I was surprisingly thinking the exact same things when I was actually writing them out! ^-^ I used to think the Viscount was a hilarious idiot, but now the 2nd season has made me hate his very existence...it was just too much idiocy for me. -_- Oooh, I like your choice of words better than Madam Red's...it sounds oddly hot and sensual. Geez, my perversion will never end... I'm sure that Sebastian will take very good care of his little patient. ;) Thankies so much for the well-wishes for my life; I wish the exact same things for you! *hugs* Both I and chels15 say thankies for this review and for sharing your thoughts and kind words! They are all much appreciated (along with the cookie!)! ^0^**

lilly: **First off, thankies for thanking me for writing another chapter of my story! xD I'm glad that you thought everybody was kept IC and that you liked the general mood and tone of the chapter. I didn't want it to be too angsty or anything like that... think of it as a break from the action. It makes me happy to know that I was able to make you laugh as well! Whew, what a relief to hear that the dance scene was cute. I was worried that I hadn't written it very well, so thanks for giving me the reassurance that I did in fact write it well. ^-^ Thankies so much for wishing me luck with my homework and stuff; life may be crazy, but I still have plenty of mental time to think about Kuroshitsuji and my story while I'm sitting in class. ;) Thank you for your kind words and for another review! I wholeheartedly appreciate your dedication and words! ^-^**

sakura: **Yay! I'm so happy to see that you enjoyed my story so much! ^0^ Teehee, I'm pretty sure that you and a lot of my other readers feel absolutely no sympathy for Sebastian's current plight. Wow, that's a lot of pressure on Ciel to resist such a man...I know I would've failed a long time ago. ;) We shall just have to see how events go down. Glad that you liked the new dynamic I set up between Sebastian and Ciel. I'm gonna have fun with that, that's for sure. ^-^ I will do my best to update as soon as I have time. Thankies so much for reviewing again! ^0^**

The One Who Smiles: **Thankies so much for saying that! You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that my readers thoroughly enjoy what they read. ^-^ Ahaha, I am catching a whiff of citrus in the air, so a lemon will definitely be on the way. Yep, that's how vulnerable is spelled, and I'm glad to hear that you liked the chapter as a whole, even without a lemon! ^-^ I will do my best to update as soon as I can find the time. Thanks for reviewing; it's much appreciated! ^-^**

Opy: ***sniffles* Oh my goodness, I'm so happy to read such kind things about my story. ^0^ Clearly, I did in fact continue with my story after the 10th chapter, so I'm glad that chapter 10 could make you want more. ^-^ Ahaha, that's quite an image I am getting in my head; glad I could do that to you! ^-^ Thankies so much for all the compliments and for reviewing the 10th chapter of my story!**

*no visible name where the name should be located*: **Lolz, thankies very much! I'm glad to see that you're so happy based off of what you read. ^-^ Yes, I am doing my best to update as quickly as I can, so thanks for congratulating my effort. ^-^ Good points there about Kuroshitsuji 2...Sebastian is totally gonna kick Claude's ass, I can see it already! ;) Yay! I'm so happy to hear that you like my author's note as much as my actual story. Now I know I'm not just talking to empty air anymore. xD Well, at least he actually feels bad...that means he can't be all bad, right? Oh noes! I've been discovered! Or have I? *smirks secretively* You'll just have to keep reading to find out. ;) It's somewhat a good and bad thing he can't remember...bad because he feels like he's losing his mind, and good because no one would want to remember such horrible things to begin with. *shudders at the thought* Yes, that is actually a very true statement; the whole dancing thing was a lemon, 1800s style, lolz! xD And that's true; what kinda relationship can they have if there's no love or trust between them? Lolz, that was the point; I used Ciel's fainting as a transition between the angsty drama to the fluffy drama. ^-^ Ahaha, glad I could somewhat surprise ya there. See? It's amazing what some people think in their heads...it can be kinda creepy in some cases, but in this case, it's just sexily cute. ;) Yeah, I had to add a little bit of fluff into this chapter, so it would've been in bad taste to have Ciel wake up and slap Sebastian across the face. ^-^' Glad that you liked that scene though! I love using irony like that...and since I love Madam Red, why not combine two of the things I love into one scene? *nose begins to bleed* You have NO idea how hot Doctor!Sebastian is...at least in my mind...too bad I have zero drawing talent or I would've posted a pic of him a LONG time ago. Yeah, I didn't want to make them completely cold to each other for this whole arc, so slowly but surely, they are getting closer again. ^-^ Thankies so much for such a long and lovely review! I will do my best to update as soon as I can! Thanks again! ^0^**

SebaCieLuver: **I'm doing my best to meet my obligations, so I'm using all of my free time to write this story. I'm really happy to hear that you like what you read this time as well! Yay! Another reader isn't that mad at Sebastian anymore; it would be bad if everybody was permanently angry with him because then this story would have some trouble moving forward... ^-^' Ahaha, at least Ciel is making some emotional progress, no? As for your question, that shall be answered in the next chapter, I promise! And thankies for appreciating my effort! It wasn't that hard for me to look them up since I had added a site to my computer's favorites that had an entire list of old medical terms and their current names. Teehee, I'm just as excited for the next chapter as you are! I'll see ya there chica! ^-^ Seriously, Claude is such a pedobear (me and my buddies call him a pedopanda xD)...but hopefully the 2nd season isn't anymore crack-filled then it already is...I think my mind won't be able to handle the sheer amount of crack it's already consumed... O.o Thankies so much for your thanks (I'll let chels15 that you said thank you to her as well)! Thank you for wishing me luck with school and my other endeavors; I will update when I can! Thanks again! ^-^**

fareleen: **Of course you are allowed to call me that! I encourage people to call me by my pen name J-C! ^-^ Thankies for complimenting my writing style; I'm trying to harness my writing skills, so it's great to hear that I'm making some sort of progress in that area. ^-^ Lolz, I'm so glad I could hook you onto the story like that; sorry I can't update in closer intervals of time, but school is pretty important so it's my main priority at the moment. ^-^' I'm really happy to hear that I was able to portray the emotions and scenes in this chapter; it was the main goal, so yay (for accomplishing my goal!)! ^0^ Thank you for all of your compliments and for the review! Both are very much appreciated! ^-^**

Shirogane-san: **Teehee, somewhat. Sebastian wasn't very specific about what exactly he was apologizing for... *smirks* I'm really glad to see that you liked Chapter 14 so much! ^-^ Awww, really? I'm glad I could make your day as well! ^0^ Ahaha, Sebastian being protective makes me and probably every one of his fangirls squeal with happiness. ;) Oh, an order...hmmm, I will do my best to update as soon as I can (my Sebastian side is saying, "yes, my lord" right now xD)! Yes indeed, GO SEBASTIAN! Claude is such a punk in comparison to him...what an...argh! Ahem, anyhoo, I just want to say thankies for reviewing again! So thanks lots and lots! ^0^**

dut: **I'm glad to hear that you like my story so much! I work hard on every chapter, so thanks for appreciating my effort! ^-^ From my point of view, things can either go up- or downhill with Sebastian and Ciel's relationship...Sebastian just has to play his cards right and I think things will get better. ;) Lolz, glad that you appreciated my lame attempt at humor! Anyhoo, I just wanted to thank you for your review...so thank you! ^-^**


	16. The Party

**J-C: *singing* I'm mad! Really bad...but don't tell my mom and dad. Pucker up, kiss my butt...cause I'm bloody f*****' nuts. Hear the bass, skinny waist, now let's copy poker face! Like whoa, whoa-oh-oh, whoa, whoa-oh-OW! *got beaned in the head by a peach***

**~Sasuke~ Stop singing that stupid song!**

**Naruto: *quietly hums along to the tune of Tik Tok Parody by Midnight Beast***

**~Sasuke~ *glares* Dobe...**

**J-C: But I have to sing Sasuke! This song makes me happy...BECAUSE I'M SOOOOOO SAD! KUROSHITSUJI 2 IS OVER! *cries* T_T I can't believe it! There's no more Kuroshitsuji to look forward to every week...**

**Naruto: Awww, that's terrible J-C...**

**~Sasuke~ Thank god...no more random fangirl moments...**

**J-C: I happened to have LIKED having random fangirl moments!**

**~Sasuke~ Whatever...**

**J-C: Ah well...at least I get to watch the second season all over again! ^0^ My buddies who I got into Kuroshitsuji have just started watching the second season! Lolz, I can't wait to see their reactions to all the WTF moments (especially the one in the last episode! OMG, WTF HAPPENED? Will not spoil because some of my friends read my story so yeah...but seriously WTF? O.o). Anyhoo, time to get to the reason for my late posting (which I profusely apologize for! T_T)! One reason: SCHOOL. *insert dramatic music***

**Naruto: O.o**

**~Sasuke~ Must you always be so dramatic?**

**J-C: Yes! Now, I know that I posted this chapter late so some of my readers might be a little anxious to hurry up and get on with the chapter. Since I'm feeling not at all sadistic for a change, I will not prolong your guys' wait...but first, I just wanted to thank everybody for your lovely reviews! ^0^ I got just over 50 reviews again! I'm so glad that you guys are able to take time out of your busy schedules to read my ridiculously long chapters. Seriously, thankies so much! To show my gratitude for your guys' dedication, I will not prolong your wait any longer than necessary... Disclaimer?**

**Disclaimer: ****J-C doesn't own Kuroshitsuji...only a smexxi screenshot that one of her friends took during Episode 20 of a shirtless Sebastian. xD**

**J-C: Warnings?**

**Warnings: A little violence, some sexual situations/themes/thoughts, a whiff of citrus (a very tiny lime, but it's not between who you think...), language, mentions/hints of drug use, and Viscount Druitt (yes, he deserves his own warning... xD).**

**J-C: IMPORTANT (NEW FORMATS!)! Regular thoughts look like this (**_Midnight Beast is so beast!_**), conversational thoughts look like this (**_'Can you believe how ridiculous school is sometimes?'__**), **_**regular dialogue and stuff looks like this**_** (**_I hope there's a third season of Kuroshitsuji!**), scene/time/room area changes look like this (XXX), emphasized words look like this (NO!) or like this (_Creeper!_), and anything with a number behind it has extra information at the end of the chapter (**Torture (2)**).**** I hope everybody got and understood my condensed version of an A/N. So now, without further ado, I present the 16th chapter of One Hell of a Master! Enjoy everybody! ^0^**

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**Chapter 16: The Party**

Ciel felt his stomach drop the moment he stepped into the Viscount's luxurious mansion. True to his word, Sebastian had planned it out for them to arrive when the party was in full swing. Ciel, not being used to how people in the upper-class behaved, was completely at a loss for words. All around him, ladies with their hair neatly pinned up or flowing elegantly to the small of their backs were tittering, flirting, and dancing with primly dressed gentlemen. Several servers walked around with platters filled with small delicacies such as hors d'oeuvres and sparkling glasses filled with lemonade. In the center of the large room was an area for couples to dance. Ciel watched in a slight trance as the skirts of the upper-class women and girls billowed out as the men gracefully led them through a dance. In the corner of the room, a small symphony played music that was set to the beat of a waltz. There were areas along the walls of the room where several chairs and tables were positioned. Ciel assumed these were places for people to rest or to partake in even more food. Directly across from the entrance to the Viscount's mansion was a marble staircase. At the top of the staircase was an entryway that was slightly covered with purple drapes, giving it a mysterious feel. Everyone looked so happy and carefree; not a single person was frowning or complaining. Each person exuded confidence and wealth, as the women flaunted their looks and jewelry, while the men flaunted their style and poise. It was like a whole new world full of wonder and fancy things; Ciel was truly awestruck.

Sebastian, however, was nearly bored to tears. He had attended countless parties in the centuries of his existence. To him, the atmosphere seemed desperate and strained. Sebastian inwardly smirked as he watched women practically throw themselves onto any available man in the room. Many of them looked uncomfortable; Sebastian supposed it was due to the constricting corsets and painstakingly applied makeup each woman applied to make her face look as if it was naturally that way. The men, of course, drank up the attention as if it was a life source. Sebastian read each man's lying lips as he told stories of how successful his business was or of how he had hunted a bear with only one gun and hunting dog in tow. Sebastian's eyes critically analyzed the chandelier hanging above the dance floor. It looked as if it was made from cheap imported glass while the food looked to be prepared without any thought or care. The decorations strung around the room and hung on the walls looked about as fake and out of place as the majority of the people in the room.

_Let's just get this investigation over with as soon as possible…_

Sebastian went into investigator mode and began to search for possible escape routes and hiding areas. There were several doorways throughout the room. One of them lead to a balcony, while another lead to a hallway. The demon looked up the marble staircase at the covered entranceway and smirked; that must be where the Viscount's private quarters were located. If all went well, Ciel would soon be following the Viscount up the steps, acting as if he had no idea what the Count's true intentions were.

The immortal glanced down at his companion and silently took in Ciel's awed facial expression. He really did look truly stunning in his outfit; he was probably the most beautiful and refined thing in this entire room. A flashback of Ciel yelling at him that he wasn't a whore appeared in Sebastian's mind, and he winced. He had screwed things up, that was for sure. But being a creature of perfection, he was positive he would have everything resolved by the end of the evening.

Ciel, feeling eyes on him, looked at his partner. He blinked when he noticed his master staring at him with a calculating expression. "What?" he asked uncomfortably. Sebastian smiled, causing his child-like face to take on an innocent expression.

"You really do look cute in those clothes, **my lady**," Sebastian emphasized. Ciel flushed and gritted his teeth with embarrassment.

"Is that so?" he asked in a controlled tone of voice. The boy dressed as a girl coughed nervously into his gloved fist before his eyes scoped the crowd. "Do you see any sign of the Viscount, Master?" Ciel asked in a hushed tone of voice. Sebastian shook his head and glanced over his shoulder. He could faintly see Aberlain struggling with the clasp on his trench coat. The demon sighed at the clumsy policeman and gently placed a hand around Ciel's cinched-in waist. Ciel's eyes flitted nervously around the room, looking to see if anyone else noticed his master's touch. He then realized that what was occurring would appear perfectly natural to the outside world. To the partygoers, Ciel and Sebastian was a young couple on their first date, looking to have a fun time at a party.

"Now that's more like it! Oh Fiona, you and Lucas look so cute together!" Madam Red squealed, suddenly appearing in front of the awkwardly standing boys. Before either one could fully gauge what was happening, the enthusiastic female pressed both of the children to her chest in an excited hug. She released them after a moment; Sebastian was forced to readjust his hat while Ciel smoothed out the front of his dress. Some of the partygoers looked at the trio with amused looks before returning to their own affairs. The death god waved the fan in front of her face in a secretive way before glancing over at the doorway that led to a hallway.

"I must say, this party is much more scandalous than I would have imagined! Do you realize how many people are cheating and eloping together? For instance, did you know that Earl Williamson and Lady Tina were spotted k-?"

"Is that so?" Sebastian quickly cut in with a charming smile. He gave the woman a pointed look, "So you haven't spotted the Viscount yet?" he paused. "That's a shame…I wished to compliment him on throwing such a lovely party on the last day of The Season," Sebastian added smoothly when some nosy bystanders turned to appraise the group. Madam Red shook her head forlornly before her face lit up with a delighted smile.

"Oh! But you know who is here? Come with me, and I'll show you guys," she said. Sebastian smirked at the reaper's attempt to make them blend in with the rest of the crowd. With his hand still firmly wrapped around Ciel's waist, the immortal followed his future sister-in-law through the crowd of upper-class gentlemen and ladies. Ciel did his best to look carefree and happy as he was led by Sebastian. On the inside, however, the boy was panicking at both the burning feel of his master's touch and the thought of having to be alone with the cause of the Queen's distress.

_What if we have arrived too late and the Viscount has already chosen one of the young girls in attendance?_

Sebastian's grip slightly tightened on Ciel when he felt the boy's anxiety spike. Ciel's heart thudded at the pressure from the touch. This wasn't good; the butler was beginning to truly regret his choice to go along with his master's plan. Finally, the group made it to the entranceway to the hallway. Madam Red glanced over her shoulder before she peeked into the darkened hall. "Alright, they are here. You can come out now," she whispered reassuringly. A golden-eyed man stepped out from the shadows. His blue hair was slicked back and the top half of his face was covered in a mask with blue and gold glitter and sequins on it. His unnaturally colored eyes widened as he took in the appearance of the couple in front of him.

"Oh my god! What happened to my little Phant-" both Sebastian and Ciel launched themselves at the immortal male and clamped their hands over the blue-haired male's mouth. They shoved him back into the hallway. Sly looked down at the two elegantly dressed kids with an apologetic look in his eyes. Madam Red, meanwhile, was working on damage control with some of the guests who had witnessed the Queen's butler's outburst.

"What are you doing here?" Ciel hissed with disbelief. Sly removed their hands from his mouth and looked over the dress-wearing male.

"I think the better question here would be why exactly you are wearing what you're wearing?" Sly asked in an equally disbelieving tone of voice. Ciel jerked a thumb in his master's direction and growled.

"Ask this guy; it's all part of his plan for us to go undercover," Ciel mumbled moodily. Sebastian merely smiled before quirking an eyebrow at the other demon's eyewear.

"Sly…why are you wearing a mask?" he asked curiously. Sly sheepishly smiled as he removed the mask to fully reveal his perfectly made face.

"Well, I was ordered by the Queen to monitor the activity that took place at the last party of The Season and to intervene if things got a little more wild than socially acceptable," he said cheerfully before pouting, "But she didn't tell me what kind of party I was going to be attending. So I just assumed that it was going to be a masquerade type since it would be easier for me to blend in," Sly finished sadly. Sebastian's mouth twitched as he tried not to laugh at his fellow being's stupidity.

_So instead of detracting attention from himself, he ended up attracting it. Why am I not surprised by this turn of events?_

"So you are doing what Aberlain is doing for Scotland Yard; you're here to make sure the Queen's Dog obediently follows orders, correct?" Ciel asked lowly. Sly merely winked, neither confirming nor denying the boy's assumption. Ciel rolled his eyes and glanced over at his master.

_This guy must've caused a lot of trouble in the past. Why else would both Scotland Yard and the Queen be monitoring him simultaneously?_

Sly leaned tiredly against the wall as he peeked out at the lively party in the main room. "Honestly, humans are such boring creatures! Parties aren't like this in Hell…" he grumbled childishly. Sebastian silently agreed with the blue-haired immortal as he glanced out at the dance floor. Sly suddenly snapped his fingers as an idea popped into his head. "I know what this party needs!" he said excitedly before rummaging in his suit jacket. Ciel and Sebastian curiously watched the overexcited demon as he searched through his coat. With a triumphant cry, the blue-haired servant pulled out a silver flask. Sebastian's eyes slightly widened at the sight of the canister, while Ciel looked warily at the object.

"What is in there?" Ciel asked with obvious distrust. Sly smirked sneakily before unscrewing the cap of the flask. A sickly sweet scent permeated the hallway, causing Ciel to feel dizzy and slightly euphoric.

"Bacchi Passi (1)," Sly responded cheerfully. A blank look settled on Ciel's face as Sebastian frowned.

"I don't even want to know why you're carrying **that** around in your pocket…" Sebastian said in bored tone of voice. Sly pouted before moving to stand behind the children. He put his arms around them and stuck his face between the two males. He teasingly waved the bottle in front of their faces.

"You're just jealous because you aren't allowed to drink any!" Sly teased. Sebastian huffed and rolled his eyes at the blue-haired male.

"As if I would want to," he responded. Ciel suddenly grabbed for the flask. There was just something about it that demanded his attention. He cocked his head to the side as he peered into the opening of the container. A reddish-brown liquid sloshed around inside. Ciel placed the bottle under his nose and inhaled. He was figuratively smacked in the face by an assault of sweet scents. Ciel's mouth watered at the aroma; he had never smelled something so sweet before! Curious about its taste, Ciel moved to drink from the flask. Sebastian quickly snatched the container out of the boy's hand, causing Ciel to glare at him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ciel asked irritably.

"Preventing an early death," Sebastian responded seriously. Ciel's eyes widened.

"What?" Sebastian sighed before holding up the container in front of all three of their faces.

"Bacchi Passi is wine made by the hands of specialized wine makers in Hell. It is a highly addictive substance that has brought many humans to their graves earlier than intended. Just like demons do with their words and gestures, it lures in its drinkers with its scent. The wine's smell and taste matches whatever the drinker desires the most. In my case, it would smell and taste like your soul Ciel," Sebastian paused for dramatic effect before looking at Sly. "It is forbidden for humans to drink Bacchi Passi…and it **should** be forbidden for demons as well."

Sly frowned before stepping away from the two boys. "Aw, come on Sebastian! Stop being so uptight all the time. It's not like that wine has ever killed a demon," Sly reasoned. Sebastian smiled deceivingly.

"That may be true, but I do believe that this drink was behind a certain demon's unruly and inappropriate behavior. If I remember correctly, he was so drunk that his powers got out of control, causing one of the worst plagues in human history," Sebastian stated with a smile. Ciel's eyes widened as Sly flinched at his friend's words. The raven-haired boy looked down at his companion. "Bacchi Passi has the equivalent effects of a regular alcoholic beverage on demons…if drunk in moderation. If drunk in excess, which it often is, demons lose control of their abilities and enter a drunken state that can last anywhere from a few hours to a few centuries, depending on the amount of Bacchi Passi that was drunk. Depending on the type of demon, the time of their drunkenness either has no effect on anyone or can affect the world as a whole. I am not allowed to drink because as a hunter, I must always be on high alert. This wine is dangerous to humans because it causes a euphoric state, making its drinkers unaware of their actions. Being such a malleable species, most humans end up participating in dangerous activities and continue to drink this. Once humans take a sip of this wine, they can never have happiness equal to when they are drunk. They continue to drink and drink, participating in activities with rising danger levels, until they finally die from either an overdose or an idiotic stunt," Sebastian explained.

Sly snickered as he plucked the bottle from Sebastian's hand. "Which is exactly what this party needs Sebastian! Think about it; wouldn't it be highly entertaining to see those uptight women running around as if they were children? I do believe that at least one person would attempt to swing from the chandelier," Sly said excitedly. It was then that Ciel was reminded of Sly's true nature; he was a demon, so of course he would get some type of enjoyment from seeing people hurting themselves. The golden-eyed man smirked before moving towards the opening of the hall. "I'll just pour a little bit of this good stuff into the punch…"

Both Ciel and Sebastian grabbed Sly and pulled him away from the doorway. Sebastian glared at the taller man. "You will do no such thing. If everyone at this party becomes drunk and unruly, you will compromise our investigation. The Viscount could get away with saying that his actions were due to the alcohol's influence. Not only that, you are supposed to remain hidden in accordance to Her Highness's orders," Sebastian pointed out. Ciel nodded in agreement. Sly sighed before pulling himself out of the children's hold.

"But I'm bored! And it's no fun to drink Bacchi Passi by myself," Sly whined childishly. Ciel crossed his arms over his chest and stared down the immortal.

"That didn't seem to be a problem 500 years ago," Ciel commented condescendingly. Sly shrugged his shoulders before capping the flask.

"I was a teenager back then; the fact that I was allowed to drink Bacchi Passi in the first place was all the incentive I needed," Sly said in a slightly reminiscent tone of voice. Ciel rolled his eyes and glanced out at the party, trying to find Viscount Druitt.

The symphony had just finished the song; they were now continuing with a different song that still had the same beat for the waltz. The red-eyed male glanced down at his butler. A slow smirk spread on his face as a plan formed in his head. The demon suddenly grabbed the boy's black-gloved hand, causing Ciel to start with surprise.

"Well then, we are just going to have to make the party livelier ourselves, no? For Sly's sake," he proposed slyly. Ciel gaped at his master with surprise as the boy pulled him out from the hallway. His eyes widened in shock and slight fear when he saw where they were heading.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing? Are you crazy? There's no way I'm going to dance with you in public! I'm just a but-" Sebastian abruptly turned, forcing Ciel to come to a sudden stop to avoid colliding with him. The demon had stopped on the outer part of the dance floor; he glanced over his shoulder when he felt eyes trained on his back before focusing his attention on the ruffled Phantomhive.

"I believe you are forgetting, **Fiona**, that you are currently masquerading as an upper-class girl. Therefore, it is socially acceptable for someone of my stature to dance with you this evening," Sebastian responded smartly. Ciel paled at the truth of the other male's statement before he frowned.

"That's…true. But-"

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to lead you in a way that covers up your lack of dancing skills," Sebastian said sweetly. Ciel's eyes narrowed at the man's words. If he had known that the demon was planning on dancing with him tonight, well, he definitely wouldn't have been here. Sebastian released Ciel's hand and stepped back. He humbly bowed at the waist and extended a hand to the dark-haired child.

"May I have this dance, Fiona?" Sebastian asked charmingly. Ciel stood frozen for a moment as memories of the last time they danced together flashed through his mind.

_What am I going to do if I faint again?_

Ciel sighed resignedly before reluctantly placing his hand in Sebastian's. "You may," he responded in his Fiona voice. Sebastian smiled brightly before gently bringing Ciel closer to him. He placed his hand on Ciel's upper back and loosely held Ciel's hand. Ciel rested his free hand on Sebastian's chest.

_Well, at least he isn't so tall this time,_ Ciel thought bitterly. Sebastian's smile toned down to a gentle one as he led the shorter "girl" into the crowd of dancers. Ciel was left completely breathless as the demon moved him gracefully to the beat of the song. Some of the older couples looked at the dancing youngsters with amused looks. The two children dancing amidst adults easily attracted the attention of many of the observers. Ciel felt his anxiety increase as more pairs of eyes focused on them.

_What if one of them discovers our true identity? The Michaelis name…no, wait, __**my**__ pride and image will be shattered!_

Sebastian gracefully twirled his partner before bringing him back into his hold. Ciel was relieved that he didn't feel dizzy when Sebastian had spun him. The boy felt his cheeks warm at Sebastian's intense look; the demon was focused solely on him and him alone. Ciel's beautiful cerulean eye locked with Sebastian's stunning red-hued orbs. Sebastian moved Ciel even closer to him. The tinier boy's body was now pressed firmly to the slightly taller boy's. Even though their new position was technically crossing the line for a "proper" waltz, Sebastian couldn't give two shits about etiquette at this point. It was imperative that he made his pet understand **everything**. Ciel looked down at Sebastian's chest out of embarrassment and shame when he heard an older woman whisper something along the lines of, "Scandalous behavior…young people these days…"

Sebastian adjusted his head and rested his lips near the boy's ear. The immortal continued to lead them flawlessly in order to avoid unnecessary conflict with some of the other dancers. "You are really beautiful Ciel…both outside and in," he whispered softly. Ciel was shocked by his master's words and close proximity but didn't allow for that emotion to show on his face. He impassively glanced around the ballroom, still scoping the crowd for a glimpse of their target.

"Well, aren't you just a sweet talker?" Ciel responded sardonically. Sebastian chuckled softly as he led them into a smooth turn. He had expected for the boy to respond in such a way.

"I am merely speaking the truth," Sebastian stated smoothly. Ciel rolled his eyes and frowned slightly.

"Well that's a first," he replied with a hint of hostility. Once again, Sebastian knew that Ciel would react in such a way to his statement. The demon moved away from his butler's ear, but continued to hold Ciel close to his body. Silence developed between the two as Ciel did his best not to trip on the edge of his skirt or to step too hard on Sebastian's feet.

"Do you wish to know why I think you're beautiful?" Sebastian asked. Ciel didn't respond to his master's question; knowing Sebastian, he would most likely tell him whether the boy wanted to know or not.

"On the outside, you have a refined grace and style. Your face is radiant, like a full moon at midnight. Your eye is luminous, like a pool of crystal water. You have the softest lips I've ever had the pleasure to kiss. Your skin is so smooth under my touch, and it contrasts beautifully with your lustrous dark-colored hair," Sebastian paused and allowed for his compliments to sink in. Ciel's eyes flitted to his master's face to see if the demon had really meant what he had just said. He was greeted with a soft smile and a serious facial expression. Ciel ignored his heart pounding against his ribcage as his master continued to lead him through the dance.

_He's just trying to get inside of my head! I will __**not**__ allow for him to woo me again…_

"Wow master… How many times have you used those lines on your other pets?" Ciel asked sarcastically. Sebastian inwardly sighed at his pet's stubbornness. He should've known that Ciel wouldn't be so easily swayed by his compliments on his outward appearance. The demon smirked and leaned down to position his lips by the boy's ear again.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he asked teasingly. Ciel rolled his eyes and whipped his head in a way that caused his hair to hit the boy in the face. Sebastian got the hint and leaned away from Ciel's ear.

"I do not care about your business with other people. If it has nothing to do with me, then I will not involve myself with it," Ciel said seriously as he pointedly glared at his dancing partner.

"And that's exactly why you are so beautiful on the inside," Sebastian stated. Ciel warily looked at his master, completely lost as to how he was beautiful on the inside simply because he didn't want to know other peoples' business.

"You, unlike many of my previous pets, have morals. Even though you have a deliciously dark and tainted soul, the fact that you truly believe in and follow your morals is refreshing and beautiful. You are in no way shameless, and when you feel that your morals are being challenged, you follow them, no matter what situation pressures you to do otherwise. And that's why," Sebastian paused to whisper into Ciel's ear, "I'm sorry." Ciel's eyes widened and his breath caught at his master's apology. Sebastian led them through several more turns to give himself time to swallow his demonic pride (which was ten times harder to do than it was for a human) before continuing. "I am sorry for not telling you about my fiancée. I am sorry for calling you a whore when you are the exact opposite of one. I am sorry for unknowingly challenging your morals. But above all else," Sebastian leaned back to look his shocked butler in the eyes.

"I am sorry for hurting you."

Both Ciel's heart and the music from the orchestra simultaneously stopped. The orchestra instantly went into the next song, also set to the beat of the waltz. Sebastian inwardly shook his head at the lack of variety in music before leading Ciel through yet another dance. Ciel was in so much shock that he allowed for his master to lead him with no qualms whatsoever. He hadn't been expecting for his master to apologize to him…ever. The fact that his master did in fact do so caused Ciel's emotions to swirl. Sebastian looked intently at Ciel as they continued to dance. He wasn't sure as to how Ciel would react to his apology. Ciel continued to stare at Sebastian with a stunned look. Then, he looked around the dance floor so that the demon couldn't read his eyes or his facial expression.

_Sebastian…apologized to me? I can't believe he would do such a thing. There's no way he could've meant everything he had said. Besides, his apology does not change anything. He made his choice. So if he thinks that by apologizing to me, I will willingly crawl into bed with him, he is sorely mistaken._

Ciel locked eyes with his master before taking a deep breath. He found he was quickly running out of air; he didn't have much physical stamina to begin with, so all of this dancing was really taking its toll. He looked up at his perfect master and smirked. "Hm, you must've had to shove your pride to the deepest recesses of your consciousness to make such an apology to me, right Master?" His smirk slipped off of his face and was replaced with a frown.

"However, your apology has come too late. It does not change anything about the choice you made. Even if I were to forgive you and things were to go back to the way they used to be, my morals would still be challenged. Therefore, although I acknowledge your apology, I cannot bring myself to truly forgive you," Ciel finished calmly. Sebastian chuckled, causing Ciel's anger to flare. "And what exactly is so funny?" he asked lowly.

"I swear humans come up with the silliest ideas sometimes. It is truly amusing," Sebastian stated. His smirk morphed into a gentle smile. "When you told me my choices, either you or Grell, do you remember what happened?" he asked. His eyes gleamed with amusement, causing Ciel to feel slightly frustrated.

"Of course I do! You didn't say anything-"

"Exactly," Sebastian cut in, his smile now reflecting his delight, "I didn't say **anything**. Therefore, I never verbally stated my choice," Sebastian finished smartly. Ciel literally froze, and Sebastian had to pull the boy with him to avoid colliding with a drunken dancing couple. Sebastian waited patiently until Ciel looked into his eyes. The boy had never thought of the possibility that Sebastian hadn't actually made a choice. Now that the possibility presented itself, Ciel felt a small surge of hope shoot through his heart. He quickly squashed that hope so the older "boy" wouldn't be able to read it in his eye. The song finally came to an end; Sebastian released Ciel from his dancing position and patiently waited for the child to catch his breath. When the boy could finally breathe normally, he focused his attention on his demon master.

"Ciel, I chose-"

The sound of hands clapping caused both of the kids to jump with surprise. Sebastian's facial expression remained unreadable as Ciel turned to appraise the newcomer. Ciel resisted the urge to give away his shock at the sight of the man.

It was their target, Viscount Druitt.

The blonde-haired man was dressed in a crisp white suit, complete with black boots and white gloves. His violet eyes were glimmering with delight and were completely focused on Ciel. Both Sebastian and Ciel quietly took note of that fact. Sebastian inwardly sighed at the interruption…he had been so close this time! But now duty called; it was time to follow the plan.

"That dance was truly lovely. You two were like angels flying in a sea of clouds," the Viscount said dreamily. Sebastian inwardly smirked at the irony of the man's comment. Ciel smiled brightly and forced himself to giggle cutely. The boy swore he felt a piece of his soul die at the action.

"The Viscount is so poetic," Ciel said breathily. Sebastian nodded his agreement and glanced at the other side of the room. Pretending that something caught his attention, he turned to look at his partner.

"Fiona, would it be alright if I go and talk to one of my friends? I haven't seen him since your Aunt's party," Sebastian pleaded. Ciel pouted before giving his "date" a dismissive wave.

"Go ahead Lucas; I won't stop you," Ciel said in a bored and slightly annoyed tone of voice. Sebastian smiled before quickly excusing himself. The moment he was a safe distance away from the Viscount and Ciel, he allowed for his child-like behavior to disappear. He slightly heightened his demonic senses so that he could clearly hear their conversation.

Ciel continued to hold his face in a disgruntled pout. The Viscount smiled and attempted to get the girl to pay attention to him instead. "Now that face doesn't suit such a pretty girl like you. You look so beautiful when you smile," the Viscount remarked before gently taking one of Ciel's gloved hands and pressing a kiss to the top of it. Ciel internally shrank away with repulsion at the other man's touch but on the outside he smiled prettily.

"Thank you Viscount. I feel much better since your compliment about my dancing," Ciel said convincingly. The older male released the dark-haired child's hand. Ciel smoothly moved the hand behind his back and wiped off the other man's kiss on the back of his dress. Ciel cleverly made it look as if he was trying to draw attention to his figure. "It pleases me greatly that the Viscount liked what he saw," he added in an innocent tone of voice, even though several sexual innuendos could be taken from that statement.

_Ugh, I really hate that Sebastian is making me do this! This guy better be behind this crime or else all of this will be for nothing!_

The violet-eyed man smirked at the girl's statement before looking around the dance floor. When he spotted no sign of her date, he decided to make his move. "Now, who did this lovely robin come with?" the man asked charmingly.

_Robin? Since when the hell do I resemble a bird?_

"Auntie Angelina told me of the party. She thought that I and Lucas would have fun in a more adult type of atmosphere. But," Ciel's tone took on a slightly snobby and prideful one, "I am already an adult so parties such as these are quite boring to me. Plus, Lucas is so immature in comparison to me," he said. The Viscount smirked at the girl's statement. Ciel looked slightly surprised when the blond man moved to his side and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Perhaps if the little Robin wishes to participate in more mature things, she needs someone mature to show her," the Viscount said slyly before sneakily moving his hand lower. Ciel internally freaked out at the man's touch. He looked away in a shy manner as his face twitched in disgust.

_Keep it together Ciel… Think of all the torture you've already gone through at the hands of that conniving demon and Madam Red. I can't let it all be for nothing! All I have to do is get this scumbag alone with me, find evidence of his use of illegal drugs, and then I can go home and take a __**long**__ bath. Just bear with it for a little longer!_

Ciel turned to look up at the blond male. "Does the Viscount know of some mature activities?" he asked dotingly. Viscount Druitt smirked and released his hold on the boy's waist to hold his chin instead. Ciel's smile faltered at the touch, and it nearly went running off of his face when the other male put his face closer to his own.

"I may, but I am not sure if your Aunt would approve…or if you are quite ready to partake in such things," he said in a teasing tone of voice.

_ARGH! If I find out that he is behind these crimes, I will personally kill this guy __**myself**__!_

Meanwhile, Sebastian crushed the glass of lemonade he had been holding in his hand. Both Madam Red and Sly recoiled away from the angered demon. All three of them were observing Ciel and the Viscount's conversation from the doorway of the hall. The sound of breaking glass alerted the attention of Aberlain, who had just passed by the hall a second ago. The investigator peeked into the doorway to see a blank-faced Sebastian holding a handful of broken glass in his hand. Madam Red and Sly had managed to sneak away before Aberlain had walked into the hall.

"What happened to your hand?" he exclaimed. Sebastian was jerked out of his angered trance by the policeman's voice. The demon calmly wiped the debris off of his hand and put a charming smile on his face.

"Nothing of importance; I am fine Aberlain," Sebastian said convincingly. The kind man gave the boy a doubtful look before looking around the empty hallway.

"What happened to Ciel?" he asked curiously. The demon motioned for the investigator to step more into the hall. The man did so and Sebastian pointed out at the dance floor.

"He is currently engaged in quite a lovely conversation with our target," he said in an emotionless tone of voice. The demon had gotten his anger under control, thanks to the clumsy human behind him. Sebastian had known that Ciel was going to have to seduce the Viscount in some way. However, nothing had prepared him for how **well** Ciel would pull off said seduction. The blonde man couldn't seem to keep his hands off of the dress-wearing male!

Aberlain's eyes widened at the pair as they continued to engage in flirtatious conversation. He looked down at Sebastian before looking back at Ciel. "What exactly are you guys going to do once Ciel seduces him?" Aberlain whispered lowly from his hiding place. Sebastian smirked and tapped a finger against his temple.

"Don't worry; the rest of the plan is all up here," he responded mysteriously. Aberlain gave the shorter male a quizzical look before he focused his attention back on the couple. Little did he know, that statement held more truth in it than neither he nor Ciel realized.

**XXX**

Ciel forced himself to giggle at an obviously sexual statement from the Viscount. He was mentally beating the crap out of Sebastian for submitting him to such torture. As if it wasn't bad enough that he had to both wear a corset **and** a dress, he also had to laugh and smile.

_I'm going to freaking __**kill**__ that guy!_

"The Viscount surely knows how to keep a woman entertained," Ciel stated in an admiring tone of voice. The blonde man smiled before suddenly producing a white rose from the lapel of his coat. He held out the flower to the young girl and smiled charmingly.

"It brings me no greater joy than to entertain a lovely lady such as you," he responded. Ciel groaned internally at the obvious pickup line before dutifully accepting the floor. He twirled the plant between his fingers before giving the Viscount a seemingly innocent look, even though his eyes held a hint of seduction.

"I wonder if the Viscount knows of even more ways to entertain a lady," he said with curiosity. The Viscount's smile morphed into a smirk.

"Of course I do. But those types of entertainment require a different…setting than the one we are currently in," he responded softly.

_Now I got him!_

Ciel did his best to keep himself calm as he continued to gaze up at the older gentleman. "Oh? And what kind of setting would that be?" he asked naively. The blonde man's eyes now held a hint of danger as he leaned down to whisper into Ciel's ear.

"If my lovely Robin wishes for it, I may show her the setting for this different type of entertainment. But you must promise not to tell your aunt or your date," he whispered. Ciel shivered both from the close proximity and the meaning of the man's words. He forced himself to act as if he had no idea what was going on. A small smile formed on his lips as the man leaned away.

"You can trust me Viscount. My lips are sealed," Ciel stated cutely before making a zipper with his lips. The Viscount smirked at the girl's words.

_Your lips may be sealed now, but not for long, my Little Robin. Oh! How lovely you will sound when your pretty little mouth is wide open; your songs will burst forth from your breast as if it is the hour of the dawn!_

**XXX**

Sebastian finally moved from his frozen position when he saw the Viscount and Ciel move from where they had been standing for the past ten minutes. Aberlain started when he saw the raven-haired boy move. He had been leaning against the wall of the hall since Sebastian had told him that his involvement would not be needed with this phase of the plan.

"What's happening?" he whispered. Sebastian's blood-red eyes followed the pair as they walked nonchalantly to the staircase. He could feel Ciel's thudding heartbeat; the boy was clearly nervous and slightly frightened. It amazed the demon how Ciel was able to hide such feelings and continue with his role.

"They are moving. It appears as if the Viscount is taking Ciel to a bedroom of sorts," Sebastian responded lowly. Aberlain's eyes widened at the boy's words.

"Shouldn't we be stopping him? He could hurt C-" Sebastian's chuckling stopped both the taller male's words and movements.

"It will not come to that. I have everything planned out to where we will both arrive at the right time to apprehend him. We must wait until he reveals his crime to Ciel before we make a move," Sebastian stated calmly. Aberlain gave the pale boy a confused look.

"How exactly are we supposed to know when to move?" he asked worriedly. Sebastian smirked™ before turning to wink at the policeman. He pointed to his temple again.

"As I previously stated, it is all in my head," he said in a mystifying tone of voice. When he noticed that his words didn't calm the fidgety man, he sighed. "But if you are so worried for Ciel's safety, go out and monitor the activity in the ballroom. Look for the quickest way to get to him when the time is right," Sebastian instructed. Feeling slightly relieved at being able to do **something**, Aberlain smiled at the boy and moved back to the main area of the party. No sooner did the human leave the hallway, Madam Red and Sly reappeared. The demon gave the pair a questioning look. "Where were you two hiding at?" he asked with slight curiosity. Sly pointed up at the ceiling.

"I was up there. It's not that hard to hang from the ceiling of a rich person's house," he said proudly. Madam Red smirked and pointed to a door that was slightly ajar down the hall.

"I hid in that room since it would be improper for me to hang from the rafters," she responded sneakily. Sebastian nodded before straightening out.

"Then I do not need to take the time to tell you about what is currently happening," he said seriously. The two immortals nodded. Sebastian listened intently as he heard the rustle of curtains.

_Ciel and the Viscount must be going through that entranceway at the top of the staircase. It's time for Phase two of my plan._

**XXX**

The Viscount pulled one of the purple curtains back to reveal a dark hallway. "Ladies first," he said sweetly. Ciel gulped and clenched his fists. He couldn't be frightened now; this was the most important part of Sebastian's plan! The child steeled himself and confidently strode through the entranceway. The hall was engulfed in darkness again as the Viscount stepped through the curtained entrance. Ciel could barely see in front of him, let alone his surroundings.

_This could be quite a hindrance in case I need to make a hasty escape._

He listened to the sound of the Viscount's boots and dutifully followed behind him. The older male led the boy for a few moments. The sounds of the party faded away, causing Ciel to feel slightly more anxious. Right about now, Ciel was wishing that he had backup of some sort. Even if Sebastian was a demon, it would take him at least a few seconds to reach him if he needed his assistance.

'_My my, is my pet saying he misses me?'_

Ciel came to an abrupt stop at the familiar voice. He whirled around to see if Sebastian was standing behind him, but he was greeted with darkness. Ciel could've sworn he had heard the man talk. His voice had been so clear, as if he was standing right beside him.

_It must be a figment of my imagination…_

'_I am slightly hurt to be referred to as an 'it' and a figment of your imagination…'_

"Is something wrong Fiona?" the Viscount said in a worried tone of voice. Ciel was jolted from his whirling thoughts when the man gently touched his shoulder. Ciel forced himself to breathe.

"No, I am fine Viscount…" he stated. The blonde man didn't remove his hand from Ciel's shoulder like the boy had secretly hoped. Instead, he moved to stand beside him and put his arm around the child.

_Really now…first I'm hearing my master's voice in my head and now this guy is touching me…_

'_I can understand how one of those two things can be slightly annoying…' _the voice said before snickering. The sound echoed in Ciel's head, causing him to wince. His eyes widened as realization shot through his consciousness.

_Master?_

'_Your one and only,'_ Sebastian responded with amusement. Ciel's eyes widened as he glanced over his shoulder. _'If you could be so kind, can you switch to having your thoughts powered by your contract? It is quite hard to converse with your regular thoughts…'_ Sebastian requested. A confused look formed on Ciel's face; it was a good thing he and the Viscount were in the dark, or else the blond man would've thought he was mental from the several different facial expressions flitting across his face.

_With my contract? How exactly am I supposed to do that? _He asked with confusion. He suddenly felt a slight tug on his contracted eye.

'_Think solely of the bond we have forged due to this contract for at least five seconds. You should then be able to communicate clearly with me,'_ Sebastian instructed. Ciel blinked and glanced up at the older male to see if he was paying attention to him. The blond male showed no signs of acknowledging the boy's odd behavior. Ciel closed both of his eyes and thought about the contract that was present in his eye. He softly gasped when he was suddenly barraged by Sebastian's thoughts. Those thoughts were instantly shut off as Sebastian quickly hid them all.

'_Well that didn't take as long as I anticipated…' _Sebastian teased.

'_Master?'_

'_Ah, that is much better. I can clearly hear you now.'_

'_WHY THE HECK ARE YOU IN MY MIND?' _Ciel mentally yelled. He was sure Sebastian had winced from the volume of his mind-voice.

'_You're just now noticing? I've been present in your mind since I placed my mark in your eye. It is one of the stipulations of our contract,'_ Sebastian explained in an almost cheerful tone of voice. Ciel's face paled at the man's words.

'_You mean you've been hearing my thoughts since I've been in a contract with you?'_ he asked with disbelief. Sebastian chuckled at the boy's surprise.

'_You have had some really interesting thoughts about me. Really now, do you honestly think you could kill me with an oversized stallion? Although I must say, it was an interesting idea to tie me to a life-size dartboard… And I thank you for your compliments on my body by the way,'_ Sebastian said before chuckling. Ciel simultaneously flushed and gritted his teeth in annoyance.

'_You've been invading my privacy?'_ Ciel accused angrily.

'_I don't consider it an invasion. It is not as if you made an effort to hide your thoughts…'_

'_That's because I didn't know that you could read them!'_ Ciel retorted. A pause occurred in their conversation.

'_Don't you feel a slight stuffiness in your head? As if you have congested sinuses?'_ Sebastian asked. Ciel blinked as he thought back on when he had first arrived at the Michaelis manor. It was true that his head had felt stuffy, but he had grown used to the feeling as time had passed.

'_Yes…'_

'_That's because my thoughts have been linked to yours as well. When I said that I owned your thoughts, as well as your emotions, body, etc, I actually meant what I was saying. Your thoughts belong to me as long as you don't make an effort to hide them,'_ Sebastian responded. It all made sense to Ciel now. Sometimes, he would hear a voice in the back of his head. At the time, the boy had thought it was merely a strong sense of intuition. It had been his master all along!

'_Why didn't you tell me this sooner?'_ Ciel asked.

'_Because then my temporary form of entertainment would've been taken away…'_

'_Bastard.'_

'_I heard that.'_

'_I WASN'T TRYING TO HIDE IT!'_ Ciel shouted. He growled when Sebastian started chuckling again. He allowed for murderous thoughts to fill his consciousness. If the man wanted entertainment, he would give him entertainment.

"Here we are," the Viscount said happily. Ciel was jerked from his mental fight with his master by the sound of their target's voice. Ciel squinted; he could barely make out a wooden door of some sort.

'_It's almost tragic how poor a human's eyesight is…'_

'_Shut up master.'_ Sebastian went silent, making the boy sigh with relief. He needed to be completely focused on the target now. The Viscount removed his arm from around Ciel's shoulder and moved to open the door. Ciel listened intently as the knob turned. His eyes widened when he was greeted by the sight of a well-lit bedroom. From the looks of it, it looked as if there was no illegal activity taking place. There were no vials or other containers to hold illegal substances, no gags or ropes were visible, and there wasn't even a threatening atmosphere.

'_Don't be fooled by the looks of things. This man is known for his sneakiness,'_ Sebastian warned Ciel.

'_I got it,'_ Ciel responded. He then realized that the violet-eyed man was waiting for him to enter the room. Steeling himself, the "girl" walked into the Viscount's bedroom. The rich man closed the door behind him, causing Ciel's apprehension to spike when he heard the sound of the lock click into place. Pretending that he still had no idea what was going on, the boy turned to look at his companion.

"Viscount, why have you brought me to a bedroom? I thought we were going to an environment where more mature and entertaining things took place," Ciel asked before pouting. Ciel mentally beat his head against a wall at his behavior.

_Really now, how much longer am I going to have to act like this?_

The Viscount smiled before sighing dreamily. "This little robin is so impatient. I will give you what you ask for," he said in a doting tone of voice, causing Ciel's whole body to break out with goose bumps. The older man then smirked before moving past Ciel to walk further into the bedroom. He walked all the way to the bed and got down on one knee. Ciel's eyes watched as the man opened a brown trunk at the foot of the bed. He couldn't see what was in the contents of the trunk as the Viscount rummaged around in it. Finally, he found what he was looking for. Ciel's eyes widened as he pulled out an incense stick.

"In order for both of us to have fun, we must be in a relaxing setting," the Viscount explained before moving to one corner of the room. He lit the stick and set it in its holder. Almost instantly, the room was filled with a sweet and flowery scent. It was so strong it caused Ciel to feel dizzy.

_Talk about incense…this stuff is really strong…_

When Ciel's vision started to blur, Ciel knew that this wasn't regular incense. He placed a hand over his nose and mouth to stop himself from inhaling anymore of the aroma, but it was already too late.

_Shit… What…is this?_

'_I told you he was sneaky…'_

Ciel wobbled unsteadily and fell against the door for support. His vision swam as unconsciousness made itself known in his mind. He watched as the Viscount turned around with a malicious gleam in his eye. Ciel took one last shaky breath before he fainted.

The Viscount watched with slight amusement as the girl crumpled to the ground. To him, she looked even more desirable when she was unconscious. "Sleep well, my little robin," the Viscount said softly.

**XXX**

'_C-…Cie-…Ciel…Ciel, wake up,'_ Sebastian gently called. The wisps around Ciel's consciousness slowly faded away at the sound of his master's voice filling his head. He slowly opened his eyes but quickly closed them when a sharp pain shot through his brain. He groaned softly at the pain before slowly opening his eyes. He was still in the Viscount's room, but the Viscount was nowhere to be found. He suddenly felt a cool breeze run over his body, causing him to shiver. He looked down and was greeted by the sight of his naked bottom half. Ciel's eyes widened at the sight.

'_Ah, how I miss the sight of your naked body…'_Sebastian commented with a hint of sadness. Ciel blushed before moving to close his spread legs, but resistance at his ankles prevented him from covering himself. Ciel's eyes widened as he saw that he was tied to the foot of the bed by his ankles. He looked up to find that his arms were tied to the head of the bed as well.

'_It appears as if your cover has been blown,'_ Sebastian said seriously. Ciel gritted his teeth as he began to struggle against his bonds.

'_You think? What am I supposed to do now master? He definitely knows I'm not a young woman anymore,'_ Ciel asked with a hint of worry. The whole point of Ciel dressing up as a girl was to prove that the Viscount attacked young girls and forced them into prostitution. But now that Ciel's gender had been revealed, any of the man's actions, if he made any towards him, may not apply to the charges against him.

'_Do not worry Ciel; I have a backup plan. You just need to follow everything I tell you to do and say,'_ Sebastian responded after a moment. Ciel looked around the room to see if he could find any evidence as to what the Viscount planned to do with him. The boy's eyes widened at what he saw on the nightstand. Two vials of foggy liquid were lined up next to each other. Lying in front of those vials was a long needle used to give people shots.

'_Master, do you see that?'_ Ciel asked.

'_I can see everything that you see…another perk to being able to share your consciousness. Too bad you never attempted to masturbate-'_

'_MASTER!'_ Sebastian chuckled at Ciel's embarrassment before focusing on what Ciel was looking at. _'That may be the drug he uses to intoxicate young girls, but since your eyes are less powerful than my own, I cannot say for sure,'_ Sebastian said in a professional tone. Ciel frowned before deciding to focus on something else. To his right was a window; if worse came to worse, he could escape out through there.

'_At least he didn't gag me like Father Gregory did…'_ Ciel pointed out grumpily. Sebastian made no comment to that statement. _'Master, where exactly are you located?'_ Ciel asked curiously.

'_I am still waiting in the hall downstairs. Madam Red and Sly are keeping watch on the perimeter of the mansion to make sure that the Viscount's accomplices can't come to his aid. Do not worry; I will not allow for this man to hurt you Ciel,'_ Sebastian promised. Ciel ignored the slight warmth he felt in his heart at his master's words.

The sound of the door opening instantly alerted Ciel's attention. _'Alright Ciel, follow everything I say. Before he asks why you are a boy, ask him why exactly you are naked and tied to a bed. When he asks why you were dressed as a girl, say it was an elaborate prank set up by friends.' _Ciel mentally nodded at his master's instructions, even though he doubted that the Viscount would believe his reason. The blonde man closed the door behind him and locked it again, causing Ciel's fear to spike slightly. He swallowed that emotion and looked at the older male with accusatory eyes.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked in an equally accusatory voice. The Viscount gave him a weird look in return.

"I believe I should be asking that question. I was merely trying to make you more comfortable by removing your constricting clothing… But what do I end up finding? My lovely little Robin was an Eagle instead," the poetic man sighed dramatically. It was Ciel's turn to look at the man with a weird look.

"I was dared by my friends to see if I could fool the Viscount into believing that I was a girl. Since I was victorious, you can let me go now," Ciel said haughtily. A shocked look formed on the blond man's face.

"Now why would I do that? My friends are already on the way, and I am sure that at least one of them will like you. They expect a show, so that is exactly what I will give them. It would be simply tragic if I were to tell them to go home after they traveled so far," the Viscount said in a genuinely sad voice. Ciel's eyes widened at the man's words.

'_It appears as if the Viscount is not put off by your gender…'_ Sebastian commented.

'_What am I supposed to do now master? From the looks of things, he just might treat me like he treats any other young girl…'_

'_Hm, it appears as if that will be the case. I need for you to stall for time Ciel. I am going to revert back to my original form and come for you. It requires an immense amount of power for me to do this, so I won't be able to mentally converse with you anymore. Whatever happens, do not allow for him to inject any drugs into your system. Not even I can stop the effects of a fast-acting drug before your body becomes addicted to it,'_ Sebastian said seriously. Ciel gulped nervously at his master's words.

'_I understand master. Just don't take too long…my arms are starting to hurt,'_ Ciel added quickly. The last thing he mentally heard was Sebastian's chuckling.

**XXX**

The last thing Sebastian wanted to do at the moment was laugh. The demon turned off his mental connection with Ciel and looked up and down the hall. There was no one in sight; Sebastian smirked before quickly running down the corridor. He turned around the corner and heightened his senses. He listened intently for the signs of anything living. When no sounds greeted his ears, he focused on his body. It was a good thing he had brought a change of clothes with him or else he would've been in trouble. The immortal quickly stripped himself of his clothes and folded them neatly beside him on the floor. He then quickly donned the other attire he had managed to sneak to Madam Red to hide ahead of time. Sebastian smirked as he looked down at himself. He was practically swimming in the expensive material.

_I now understand how Ciel felt when I first gave him his untailored outfit…_

Sebastian closed his eyes and lowered his senses. He needed to concentrate solely on his own body. If he wasn't completely focused, he could cause his entire physiological structure to collapse, therefore killing himself. He cleared his mind until the only thought in his head was the mental picture of his adult self. He then harnessed his demonic power and focused it all on that picture. He felt a tingling in the base of his spine and his limbs as his body began to adjust to its original form. He felt his hair lengthen as his body seemed to rise off of the ground. His legs and arms grew longer and more muscled as his skin and muscles stretched and rippled to fit his new frame. Sebastian winced slightly when his back snapped back into a more proper position. He felt his toes slightly hit the front of his shoes as his hands completely filled the white gloves he always wore. The material of his clothing finally rested comfortably on him as his body filled out. A sigh escaped his lips when his body's structure finally settled.

Sebastian opened his eyes and looked down to make sure everything was in its proper place. He held out an arm in front of his face and smirked. He definitely didn't miss being small, that was for sure.

"Sebastian? Hey, Sebastian! Where are you?" Aberlain hissed from the other hall. Sebastian smirked; he couldn't wait to see the other man's face when he stepped out in his adult form. The demon confidently stepped out from his hiding spot to appraise the searching policeman.

"I am right here Aberlain," Sebastian responded calmly. Aberlain jumped at the octaves deeper voice. He looked in the demon's direction and nearly had a heart attack. An adult Sebastian was currently leaning against the wall, fixing one of his white gloves as if his appearance wasn't odd at all.

"H-How did you…?" Aberlain began but a look from the man stopped the rest of his words from coming out.

"My current appearance is unimportant at the moment. Ciel has gathered enough incriminating evidence against the Viscount. He is currently being held hostage in the Viscount's bedroom. He spotted drugs and our target has stated something along the lines of a, 'show' and 'friends'. Therefore, he must be planning on selling Ciel or forcing him to put on a performance of some sort. If we do not go to him soon, it may be too late for him," Sebastian cut in with a serious tone. Aberlain's eyes widened at the pale man's words.

"You are right Sebastian! But how do you know all of this stuff if you are down here and Ciel is in a completely different part of the mansion?" the policeman asked quizzically. Sebastian smirked™ before tapping his temple for the third time.

"As I said before, it is all up here," he responded mysteriously.

**XXX**

"Don't worry my little robin. Even though you are different than what I imagined, I will not show any discrimination. You will soon feel really happy; you will feel amazing, I promise. You will get the entertainment you seek," he said with mounting excitement. Ciel glanced at the bottles on the nightstand before looking back at his captor.

"I'm assuming my happiness will come from those vials, correct?" he asked coldly. The enthusiastic gentleman smiled brightly before walking over to the bed. His eyes raked over the supple body laying splayed out on his bed. He licked his lips at the temptation being offered to him. It took all of Ciel's will not to shiver at the look in the other man's eyes. A blush formed on the blond man's face as he continued to stare at Ciel. He suddenly moaned in an overdramatic fashion, causing Ciel to jump with surprise.

"Oooh! Your cold face only adds more beautiful contrast to your soon to be flushed and sweaty body! Just like a lovely and proper woman at a dance," his eyes glittered as he continued his description, "With all of her clothes on, she gives off a severe and foreboding air. But once those layers are removed, she is merely a woman looking for a fun time! Oh! How I wish to be the one to remove those layers!" he exclaimed breathlessly. Ciel shuddered at the man's words; clearly, there wasn't something right in this man's head.

Viscount Druitt frowned before finally tearing his eyes away from Ciel's naked self in an overdramatic fashion. "But alas, I will not be able to divest you of those layers myself. I will have to allow for **this** and my friends to do so for me. It seems as if it might take some time to uncover the true you anyway," the Viscount commented forlornly. Ciel's eyes widened when he saw the Viscount pick up one of the vials. The richer man grabbed for the needle and plunged its tip through the top of the vial. Ciel watched with slight fear as he pulled the plunger at the top of the needle. The container of the needle quickly filled with the foggy liquid. Viscount Druitt placed the empty vial on the nightstand and flicked a finger against the tip of the needle.

_I can't allow for him to inject that drug into me. I have to think of some way to stall for time._

"What makes you so sure that it will take such a long time to remove my layers? Perhaps I just need a little…push," Ciel finished seductively. Internally, the boy hated himself for acting this way, but he saw it as the only way to sufficiently stall for time.

_But Sebastian better hurry; I'm not sure if I can act this way for a long period of time…_

'_I am on my way, my pet,'_ Sebastian's mind-voice quickly responded. Ciel resisted the urge to give away his surprise at his master's voice.

'_Don't take too long fooling around. I've lost all feeling in my arms, and I do not wish to continue to act so shamefully,'_ Ciel replied pointedly. Sebastian chuckled before giving Ciel a mental picture of his location. From what Ciel could "see", the man was currently making his way up the stairs. _'You do have backup, don't you?'_ Ciel asked.

'_Although I don't truly need it, yes, I do. Aberlain is currently behind me. Madam Red and Sly should still be monitoring the perimeter of the mansion,'_ Sebastian answered.

The Viscount froze at the tone of the boy's voice. It was almost like a dream come true for the older male that the stone-faced child was willing to submit to him. That means he wouldn't have to give him the drug just yet…he could have a little fun too! The blonde male turned to face the seductively smirking child on his bed. His eyes shone with glimmering tears of happiness.

"Do you really mean that?" he asked excitedly. Since Ciel couldn't actually use his limbs, he had to make do with what he had. He made a slight 'come-hither' motion with his head, causing the Viscount's mind to instantly cloud with lust.

"Why don't you come over and find out?" he asked in a mischievous tone of voice.

'_Don't get too into your role Ciel,'_ Sebastian growled in a clearly jealous tone of voice. Ciel mentally frowned at his demon master.

'_Trust me master, I am receiving no pleasure from doing this. I'm actually creeping myself out to be honest,'_ Ciel responded before internally shuddering. The Viscount shakily placed the needle on the edge of the bed before moving to stand near the bed. His mouth was wide open as little pants and gasps escaped it. His hands shook as they hovered over Ciel's naked torso. The boy squeezed his eyes shut before forcing himself to arch. The Viscount gasped with shock when Ciel's torso touched his hands. Ciel, on his part, released a tiny little moan.

"It's alright Viscount. You can touch as much as you like; strip away my layers," Ciel breathed out before looking at the blond man with a small smile. His eyes glimmered with lust and promises of a good time.

'_Master, where are you right now? I'm already tired of acting this way,'_ Ciel asked as the Viscount perched himself over Ciel's bound body. Ciel winced when a loud mental growl was his response.

_I guess he __**can**__ really see everything that's going on…_

'_I have just entered the corridor at the top of the stairs. Which way did the Viscount lead you?'_ Sebastian asked in a no-nonsense tone. Ciel gasped with shock when the Viscount touched his sensitive inner thigh. The blond man inhaled sharply before grinning with delight. Ciel swallowed unsteadily as the man's hands roamed and rubbed over his exposed skin.

'_We went left! His room should be the only one with the light on,'_ Ciel responded. When one of the Viscount's hands went up to tweak one of Ciel's rosy buds, the boy squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to moan softly. _'Hurry up master!'_

"Oooh, V-Viscount…more!" Ciel gasped out. The blonde man licked his lips in anticipation as one of his hands traveled to the area between Ciel's thighs. The overdramatic aristocrat moved to kiss and lick on the boy's neck, causing Ciel to shudder and gasp. Ciel suddenly yelped in shock and pain when the Viscount stuck one finger into his hole. He immediately clenched down on the intrusion, causing the blonde man to wince.

"I'll give you more my little Robin. I can't wait to hear what songs you will sing for me-" the Viscount's dramatic speech was cut off by the sound of the clock chiming the time. The blonde man sighed sadly before removing his finger from Ciel's anus. The boy breathed a sigh of relief at the loss of the digit. "It looks as if I will have to share your songs with everyone else. It's a shame but," Ciel's eyes widened when he saw the blonde man reach for the needle on the bed, "I won't be the one to divest you of your layers," the man finished forlornly.

"Wait! Why did you stop?" Ciel asked quickly, trying to stall for even more time. The blonde flicked his finger against the end of the needle again before looking down at the boy beneath him.

"My friends have arrived; it would be rude to keep them waiting. Don't be nervous my little robin. This," he placed the tip of the needle right where Ciel's elbow was located, "will take away all of your worries and fears," he promised. Ciel's mouth opened and a small cry escaped his lips as he felt the tip break through the skin.

'_SEBASTIAN!'_

Suddenly, the door was sent flying off of its hinges. Both Ciel and the Viscount jumped at the sound. Before anyone in the room could gauge what had happened, Viscount Druitt was lying on the ground, unconscious from a sharp blow to the head. The needle easily slipped out from the shallow hole it had made in Ciel's arm. Aberlain's eyes widened at the sight in front of him. Ciel was currently tied to the bed, completely nude, while Sebastian was straightening out his clothing as if he hadn't just knocked the crap out of a man. The policeman's caring nature instantly took over; he rushed over to Ciel's side and began untying the bonds on his wrists and ankles.

"Are you alright Ciel?" he asked with worry. Ciel found his voice had escaped him; Sebastian had almost been too late. If he hadn't came when he did, Ciel would've been done for. The boy could only nod shakily. The demon appraised his pet for a moment before moving over to the nightstand. He picked up the full vial that contained the drug and unscrewed the cap. He placed the drug under his nose and sniffed. His demonic senses flared at the scent of the substance.

"This is exactly the evidence we needed," Sebastian said confidently. Aberlain helped Ciel to his feet before moving to take the vial from the immortal's hand.

"Are you sure?" he asked hesitantly. The demon nodded before his eyes searched the room. He found a pile of clothing in the corner of the room and moved to that area. He picked up Ciel's disguise and moved to stand in front of Ciel. The boy looked up at him with a tired and wary look.

"Aberlain, you should probably call for Scotland Yard now. I'm not sure how long Viscount Druitt will be unconscious for," Sebastian suddenly stated, never once taking his eyes off of Ciel. Aberlain nodded with understanding before quickly removing himself from the room. Sebastian listened as the man closed the door and sprinted down the hall.

"You were late," Ciel said bluntly. Sebastian smirked before he began redressing the boy in the layers of clothing.

"My apologies; I had a human in tow, so I could not run at my full speed," Sebastian explained as he slipped the stocking onto one of Ciel's legs. The boy made an 'hmph' sound before looking away from the demon.

"He didn't inject anything into you, did he?" Sebastian asked after a moment. Ciel gasped in slight pain as the man pulled on the strings of the corset.

"I-If he, ah, did…w-wouldn't, nnn, it h-have taken effect, agh!" Ciel managed to say. When the man had deemed the corset tight enough, he moved to put the rest of Ciel's clothing on. A silence developed between the two males as Sebastian busied himself with redressing his servant. Right after slipping on Ciel's pretty pink dress, the demon chuckled.

"There was no need for you to panic the way you did. You should know by now that I won't let any harm come onto you," Sebastian said in an amused tone of voice. Ciel flushed at the teasing remark before placing his now gloved hands on his hips.

"I didn't panic. I was merely reminding you to move faster," Ciel responded haughtily. Sebastian smiled at his pet's pride. The boy moved away from his master to look at the unconscious Viscount. "It's almost hard to believe that a weirdo like him could pull off such crimes," Ciel remarked. Sebastian nodded before moving to stand beside his partner.

"And that is why humans are interesting. They are constantly doing things that one can never expect. Humans are probably the most surprising creatures on this Earth," Sebastian said wistfully. Ciel made no comment as he continued to look down at the man that had nearly ruined his life. Sebastian's inhuman ears picked up the sound of several coach doors slamming shut.

_It appears that Scotland Yard has arrived…time for us to make our escape._

Ciel gasped with surprise when Sebastian suddenly scooped him off of the ground with one arm. Ciel clutched onto Sebastian's shoulder to keep himself balanced. "What are you doing? Put me down master!" Ciel demanded. Sebastian smirked as he faced the open window. A few feet away was another rooftop. He carried the child over to the window and pointed down to the street below. Ciel peeked over the edge of the windowsill and was greeted by the sight of several coaches.

"It is time for us to depart. Scotland Yard has arrived, and I would rather not have to deal with any legal procedures at the moment," Sebastian responded. Ciel glared at the man and struggled in his hold. The other male's touch was causing Ciel to feel **very** uncomfortable. The look on Sebastian's face certainly wasn't helping in any way.

"Fine! But you do not need to carry me," Ciel protested. Sebastian smirked before setting the dress-wearing boy on the ground. Ciel smoothed out his dress with a peeved facial expression. Sebastian pointed to the roof across the street and smiled down at his companion.

"In order to depart from this area without attracting Scotland Yards' attention, we are going to need to jump from this room to that roof. Do you think you will be able to do so?" Sebastian asked with a teasing smirk. Ciel growled before peering back down at the ground below. He was just contemplating whether or not such a drop would kill him or just break a few of his bones when he felt his feet leave the ground for the second time in one night. The younger male clutched onto Sebastian's shoulders with a death grip as the man gracefully jumped onto the windowsill.

Sebastian held the boy securely with one arm as he gazed out at the night sky. Ciel swallowed nervously when the man locked eyes with him.

"Do you trust me?" he asked seriously. Ciel contemplated his master's question for a moment. He gazed into his master's blood-red orbs for a few seconds and cocked his head slightly to the side, causing his cute little hat to slide off of his head.

"Absolutely not," he responded in an equally serious tone of voice. Sebastian smirked at the child's response to his question. He tightened his hold on the boy.

"Good," he said in a charming tone of voice. Before Ciel could even gasp in surprise, Sebastian leaped from the window and into the night.

**XXX**

The sound of heels clicking on the wooden floor filled the silent room. Scotland Yard and the partygoers had departed hours ago, leaving the once lively mansion cold and deserted. An elegantly dressed upper class woman placed a handkerchief into her purse before fully stepping into the moonlit room. The woman's eyes scanned the empty room, searching for something…something important. The sound of her shoes continued to cut through the silent air like a knife as she roamed around the room like a predator looking for her prey. Just as she was about to deem this room just as worthless as the rest of the rooms in this mansion, something caught her eye.

Illuminated by a beam of moonlight was a small pink hat with three roses on its brim. The woman approached this hat as if she was approaching life's very essence. What she had been searching for was right within her grasp. She had known that her eyes hadn't lied to her; she had seen them. Both of them; dancing the night away as if they didn't have a care in the world. She softly smiled at the memory as she bent down to pick up the hat. She twirled the article of clothing on her finger before resting it in her palm. She brought the hat up to her nose and inhaled. Her nose was instantly assaulted with the scent of incense, flowers, and an individual scent that could only be found on one person. She brought the hat away from her nose and tilted her head to the side as she analyzed it for a moment. After a moment of thought, she crushed the hat in the palm of her hand. Her soft smile slowly twisted into a delighted demon-revealing smirk.

_Ciel Phantomhive…you will pay._

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(1): **Oh yeah, hooray for the use of an online Latin translator (in other words: if it's translated wrong, I blame the translator thingie! xD)! Okay, so Bacchi is Latin for Bacchus, who was the god of wine/vine. Passi is Latin for raisin-wine in its plural form; I combined Bacchi and Passi together so that the name of the wine is English is something along the lines of: God of wine...raisin-wine flavored! xD**

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**J-C: Oh snap! Someone's after Ciel...I wonder who it is! Oh wait, I know! ;) Teehee, believe it or not, we are almost at the end of this arc. However, I slipped in a little hint of what is going to go down in the arc coming up! I'm SUPER excited to write that arc because that means we have reached the halfway point of my story! *throws festive confetti in the air***

**~Sasuke~ Finally...this idiocy is halfway over...**

**J-C: *sticks out tongue* It's only just begun Sasuke! 8D**

**Naruto: BUUUURN!**

**~Sasuke~ *rolls eyes* I'm surrounded by idiots...**

**J-C: Anyhoo, it's that time again! That's right my dear readers...IT'S TIME FOR ME TO BEG FOR REVIEWS! xD You guys have no idea how much I love all of the reviews and alerts I've received! It lets me know that at least SOMEBODY is still reading my work. So even if it's only one word, or just, "Plz update!", PLZ PLZ PLZ LEAVE A REVIEW FOR THIS CHAPTER! I love knowing what you guys think...and if I get enough, I might just reward you guys with a little something that I've been thinking about since Chapter 10. ;) Welp, I'm gonna log off now because I have school again tomorrow...but I have a lot of free time, so hooray for more Kuroshitsuji 2...again! ^0^**

**Ja ne for now! ^-^**

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missjasmin: **Awww, thankies so much! You are so kind to compliment my story in such a way! ^-^ Awww, I'm sorry that you felt that way (is secretly happy because that means that my story has you hooked 8D)... I'm glad I could bring a smile to your face and that you are so excited about this story's progression. Hopefully you like both the ending of this arc and the arc to come. Thankies so much for reviewing again! ^-^**

sakura: **It pleases me greatly to hear that you like my younger Sebastian idea! I got it from a doujinshi where Sebastian and Ciel had kids, and one of the kids looked just like a minature Sebastian. Because I couldn't get the thought out of my head, I decided to incorporate it into my story (I worry for the overall stability of this fic if I start slipping in random obsessions of mine xD)! ^-^ Lolz, we are both pervs chica; I definitely thought of that, but knowing Ciel, he would definitely deny Sebastian considering that he could possibly stand a chance because of Sebastian's smaller form... :( Well, I'm sure you've seen the ending...WTF? Gah, curse you Hannah! But hooray for Alois *sniffles at the memory*! Too bad neither one of our wishes came true... *sniffles...again* Well, as long as you continue to like my yaoi-tastic version of Kuroshitsuji, then I will happily take time out of my day to write, respond to your review, and update! Thankies so much for reviewing again; I'll do my best to make you happy as soon as I can! ^-^**

Absinthe: **Lolz, really? Haha, that's hilarious! I wouldn't have thought of something like that...very creative! Anyhoo, thankies for sharing that hilarious thought with me! ^0^**

Ailea Creed: ***smiles* Awwww, you are too sweet! *huggles* Oh my goodness, I can't wait to see that! That is gonna be such a crack-tastic, fanservice-filled OVA! *squeals at the thought* Welp, now that we know what happens to Ciel and Sebby, I'm not really sure if I'm happy or not...if they had a 3rd season, I might be able to formulate an opinion. ;) Teehee, I'm glad you like that mental picture. If I could draw, I would've drawn that scene *curses self for lack of drawing skills*. Hm, I wonder if you read the same doujinshi as me! Mini!Sebastian is such pedobait...just like Ciel! 8D Ahem, sorry. Anyhoo, we shall just have to see how events unfold in the next chapter to determine whether amends will be made or not. Lolz, yes, NO SLAPPY OF THE CIEL! *slaps Grell* xD Oh my goodness, are you serious? *blushes* I feel famous I swear; I was talking to my buddies on a Textplus community and this one girl reads my story too! ^0^ I will try to update as soon as I can; thankies for reviewing again! Btw, MSN is being such a butt. Like, you are my friend on messenger, but it says that no one is ever online so idk what's going on with that... I'm sure we will eventually figure something out! ^-^**

The Cannibalistic Dynasty: ***punches air* I FOOLED YOU! xD Lolz, that was my whole point of writing that dressing scene out like that! But I'm glad that you enjoyed the overall chapter as well. Thankies for reviewing; I'll update as soon as I can! ^-^**

Purvo: **Dudette, I have BOTH of Sebastian's character songs on my Ipod...I listen to them EVERY...DAY! Lolz, I'm so obsessive...and Grell's totally made me laugh so hard that I really hurt my sides. T_T Hmmm, I'm gonna listen to that song because it might give me inspiration if I ever get stuck further along in the story. ^-^' *smiles* I LOVE YOU TOO! Ah, EFF BOMBS! *ducks* xD Lolz, I'm sure everybody who's reading my story wants Ciel to realize that...I want him to too, and I'm the writer! ^0^ Ugh, Hannah can go rot in hell...oh wait, she lives there...S.O.B! *nose begins to bleed* You are a god in my eyes for thinking of something so hot...I'm seriously considering a threesome fic in my near future. ;) Thankies so much for all your kind (and funny) words/insights, your compliments, and for this review! YOU are awesome for ending so cutely and for reviewing again! Thankies so much! ^0^**

s e r a f i n a: **Ahaha, I never thought that I would hear those words in my whole writing career, lolz! Aww, I'm sorry that school has exhausted you so much...it's beating the crap out of me too... *dies at the thought* Alrighty chica, I'll be waiting for it! ^0^ Teehee, hooray for Ciel receiving brownie points! It's great that you understand my viewpoint; I just feel that if they kept getting in violent situations or just kept having smexxi smexx all the time, then their relationship wouldn't progress. Hooray for drama and relationship progression! xD Lolz, Viscount is such an epically hilarious stalker...as long as he isn't on my computer screen for longer than 5 minutes...then he's just annoying... -_- Holy jizznit, how do you find these songs? That is perfect for Kuroshitsuji in general! *goes to listen to song* Take your time chica; I don't wanna push you to read my ridiculously long chapters unless you're completely up to it! ^-^ I would die of pure happiness if they announced a Kuroshitsuji movie! They should base it off the circus arc...that would be so kool to see on the big screen! ^0^ Teehee, I won't start on that fic until I'm done with this one, so stay tuned for it because it's coming! ;) Teehee, that song should just be the theme for this story! Thankies so much for sharing yet another awesome song and for leaving an awesome review! I'm eagerly awaiting your next one for my story! ^0^**

melianstorm: **Oh dear...I do hope that you eventually got some sleep...even though I was up til nearly 2 am responding to reviews for Chapter 14! xD Ahaha, I'm glad you liked the opening to the chapter. I wanted to make this one a little more lighthearted since I didn't want this arc to be too angsty... And yes, Sebastian was probably gonna say what you were thinking (such dirty minds xD). Chica, I'M envious of Ciel, and I wrote the scene! xD *smirks* You shall just have to wait and see; but you do have a point about the whole territory thing...I never really thought of it that way! ^-^ *throws festive confetti in the air* I TRICKED YOU TOO! Lolz, that's exactly what I wanted my readers to think, but I'm glad you were entertained by that scene as a whole. *thinks about it* Yes, you may hug Sebastian. ^-^ I'm really happy that you like Sebastian's kiddy form...teehee, I was totally thinking along the same pervy lines, so don't feel bad. ;) Ciel + pink dress = the cutest thing in existence...period. xD Once again, you make an awesome point! But we all know that once Ciel gets a thought in his head, he sticks with it until he has concrete evidence to make him change his mind...we shall just have to see what happens. ;) Yay! I'm glad that you still like my story so much; good luck being a translator! I'm sure you will do an amazing job! ^0^ I'm looking forward to your review when you return! ^-^ Thank you for the advice girlie; I am not at all offended. I'm actually touched that you bothered to offer me advice in the first place. I love writing, so we shall just have to see how events unfold as time goes by...I might be able to convince my parents...eventually. ^-^ Thankies for your advice, review, and kind words. All are very much appreciated! ^-^**

dut: **Teehee, glad to see that you like my twist on forcing Ciel into a dress. ;) It just randomly popped into my head to do it that way; glad that I decided to follow my random spurt of creativity. *smirks* Glad that you liked the little molestation scene I slipped into Chapter 14; hopefully, there will be plenty more in the future! Thankies so much for reviewing! ^0^**

lilly: **I'm glad you liked my child!Sebastian idea! It all stems from a doujinshi I saw where Sebastian and Ciel had kids, and one of the kids looked JUST like a mini Sebastian...so thank the doujinshi for that idea! ^-^ Teehee, my need to research everything in the Victorian Era has now become an obsession...almost. Lolz, but I'm glad that you find my little history notes to be interesting. I feel like less of a nerd now... xD Lolz, who doesn't like Ciel wearing a dress? *smiles* Thankies so much for reviewing again; I will update as soon as I have the time! ^-^**

Ana (Chapter 10): **Yay! I'm really happy that you liked this chapter so much that you chose to review it! Thankies so much for doing so! *smirks* Well, this fic is rated M for a reason... ;) Thankies for saying please (and for reviewing)! I will do my best to update as soon as I can! ^-^**

Ana (Chapter 14): ***smiles* It's great to see that you liked this chapter as well! Lolz, I think EVERYBODY feels Sebastian's pain in this chapter. ^-^ Once again, thankies for reviewing this chapter as well! ^-^**

Ana (Chapter 15): **Hooray for keeping the characters IC this far into the story! ^0^ I'm super pleased to see that you got some laughs out of Ciel's "torture". We all know he secretly likes being dressed like a girl. ;) I will do my best to update as soon as I have time; thankies for reviewing this chapter too and for complimenting my story! ^0^**

smexyness: **First off, nice name! ;) *blushes* I'm so happy (and relieved) to hear that you liked the lemon so much! Oh dear, you might want to get a blood transfusion to replace all of your lost blood if that's the case. xD Happy reading with the rest of my story; and the lemons may not be up yet, but they are definitely coming! Thankies so much for reviewing! ^-^**

Shirogane-san: **Ahaha, that's an interesting crisis you have going on there! ^-^ Holy jizznit, my chapter just got called epic! *cheers* ^0^ Lolz, so happy that you liked my take on the whole corset scene; I had lots of fun writing that scene. ;) Ugh...Episode 12 made me feel so bad! And sadly, it is the last episode of the second season. I REALLY hope they decide to make a third season...it still feels like something is incomplete to me... T_T But I'm glad that I was able to put a smile on your face! ^-^ I will do my best to update as soon as I can; thankies so much for your review and interesting exit! ^0^**

SebaCieLuver: **Thanks for the congratulations, and hi hi! ^0^ Yes, hooray for Sebastian finally noticing something that everybody had noticed a LONG time ago. xD *snaps fingers* Darn Aberline... xD Ah well, it's still a little too soon for more smexxi smexx. ;) As for what Sebastian said to Grell, you will just have to wait and see. ;D Me too chica; with some parts, I'm really happy, but then there are some parts that left me feeling sad, incomplete, and slightly annoyed (mainly at Hannah is where the annoyance comes from -_-). Maybe they will do a third season? *eyes shine hopefully* You are so sweet for saying that my story and the manga are even on the same level for your addiction. ;) Trust me, this story is gonna be going for quite a while. Thankies so much for reviewing again; I'll update as soon as I can! ^-^**

WHOATEMYTACO: **Lolz, what a coincidence! I just had tacos tonight... *laughs nervously* I hope I didn't eat yours! xD I'm really happy to hear that you finally decided to review my story; it is very much appreciated. ^-^ I love writing about emotions, so poor Ciel is gonna be having lots of those as this story progresses. As for Claude and Alois, they won't be in the next arc, but they could POSSIBLY be in the story in a later one. You'll just have to read and see. ;) I'll do my best to shorten your wait by updating as soon as I am able. Once again, thanks for reviewing my story. It's greatly appreciated! ^-^**


	17. The Thought

**J-C: I'M BAAAAAAAAAACK! And now, I'm much older and wiser, because today *insert drum roll* is my BIRTHDAY! *jumps excitedly in the air* That's right everybody; today, I am officially 17 years old! And I'm updating today so that everyone can share in my birthday joy! Also, one of my buddies (theRahma) pointed out that I am updating the 17th chapter of One Hell of a Master on my 17th birthday! How cool is that? ^0^**

**~Sasuke~ And even though she's one year older, she's still as immature as she was when she was 13...**

**J-C: *sticks out tongue* I'm not going to let you ruin my birthday, Sasuke! Nothing can ruin my good mood...except...**

**Naruto: Except what, J-C?**

**J-C: *sniffles* THE FACT THAT I HAVEN'T UPDATED ONE HELL OF A MASTER IN OVER 2 MONTHS! *sobs uncontrollably* I AM SOOOOOO SORRY, MY DEAR READERS! T_T And also, because SOMEONE STOLE CHAPTER 10 OF MY STORY! (refer to the PS after the ending A/N for more information)...**

**~Sasuke~ *sighs* Drama queen...**

**Naruto: *hugs J-C* It's alright, J-C..remember the list of reasons you came up with as to why you couldn't update? Post it! I'm sure you will feel tons better after you do so!**

**J-C: *wipes eyes* You think so, Naruto?**

**Naruto: Shannero!**

**~Sasuke~ No**

**J-C: At Naruto's suggestion, here are the reasons as to why I haven't updated in such a long amount of time:**

**1. School (I had so much homework that I barely had time to sleep...a lot of assignments were worth large percentages of my final grade in the class. I HAD to focus on my school/homework or else I wouldn't be allowed to write on this site anymore...)**

**2. Friends (I ACTUALLY HAVE A SOCIAL LIFE NOW! *cheers* This isn't necessarily a bad reason, because if I didn't, I really would've broken down from the immense amount of stress I was under. My lovely buddies (theRahma, chels15, ducatilover2476, and one other person who doesn't have a fanfic account) and I had two AWESOME sleepovers! We mainly fooled around but we also did some major cosplaying for both the real Kuroshitsuji as well as for my story. My lovely Ciel, theRahma, did an AMAZING job as Butler!Ciel and Grell, and my lovely camerawoman/Agni/Alois (chels15) with her perverse comments and awesome cosplaying helped to make some scenes that could not be included in my story due to length reasons come alive! ^0^ It was a lot of fun, and once we actually get our complete outfits, we MIGHT post some of these videos on Youtube, so look forward to those! ^-^ But also, if it wasn't for my buddies, I probably wouldn't be posting right now, so yeah...THANK THEM! xD)**

**3. Youtube (I recently joined an official MEP group that makes nothing but Kuroshitsuji MEPs. I had a MEP part that was due on December 1st, but I didn't start on it until partway through my Thanksgiving Break (even though I had two months to do it...I'm so lazy sometimes xD), so a lot of my break time was spent making that video since I want the MEP group to be the best it can possibly be!)**

**4. Ducatilover2476's birthday (My close friend's b-day was on November 7th, and I wanted to make an amv for her because she is just SO AMAZING! I love her to death! So yeah, a lot of my free time the week before her birthday (because once again, I'm a procrastinator xD) was working on that video for her)**

**5. Laziness (yeah...that's just my personality type...but thanks to theRahma, chels15, and YOU GUYS, I managed to get past this hurdle, so thankies for that! ^-^)**

**J-C: So there are my reasons as to why I haven't updated in a while... I'M REALLY SORRY EVERYONE! You guys were all so kind to me and left me 83 reviews for Chapter 16 (THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! ^0^), and I paid you all back by not updating for such a long amount of time. I'm sorry... T_T**

**Naruto: But J-C, won't this chapter make up for your absence?**

**~Sasuke~ *smirks***

**J-C: YES, IT WILL (or at least I hope so... xD)! Because, my lovely readers, THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS THE 2ND LEMON FOR ONE HELL OF A MASTER! AND IT'S LONGER THAN THE LAST ONE (and a tad more perverted xD)!**

**~Sasuke~ Pervert...**

**J-C: You know you like that about me. *smiles* So, everyone, I know you guys have been waiting for a REALLY long time for an update, but just bear with me for a little longer! Disclaimer and Warnings, YOU'RE ON!**

**Disclaimer: You would think during my long absence that I would have obtained possession of Kuroshitsuji...but sadly, I haven't. Hence, why the Dub sucks, the 2nd season ended the way it did, and the manga still only comes out once a month... T_T**

**Warnings: LEMON = SEX, SHOTACON = OLDER MAN X YOUNG BOY (if you don't like neither one of those, DO NOT read this chapter! If you do, ENJOY!), language = moderate, sexual situations/content = majority of the chapter (xD), length = UBER LONG, and OOCness = maybe (I tried really hard not to make anyone OOC, but I'm warning for it anyway).**

**Dedicated to: theRahma and chels15 (because they are amazing friends and fully support the writing of this fic! Thank you guys so much! ^0^)**

**J-C: Also, private thoughts look like this (**[_It's smex time!_]**), regular thoughts look like this (**_J-C is back!_**), regular dialogue and stuff looks like this (**I REALLY hope no one is OOC!**), emphasized words look like this (HURRY UP!) or like this (_I hope my reasons for not updating were good enough..._), sound FX look like this (BAM!), scene changes look like this (XXX) and anything with extra information looks like this (**Lovemaking (3)**). Now, without further ado, I present everyone with the 17th (and hopefully worth the wait) chapter of One Hell of a Master! Enjoy! ^0^**

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**Chapter 17: The Thought**

The cool night air gently kissed Ciel's exposed face as Sebastian jumped from treetop to treetop. The peaceful night air was only slightly disturbed by Sebastian's light steps on the branches of trees. Occasionally, the two figures would be illuminated by the light of the moon. If people had been in the area, they would have thought they were seeing a mystical creature of some sort.

Sebastian made sure to move in a way that caused Ciel to experience little to no discomfort. They had left London behind about an hour ago and were currently en route to Sebastian's manor. Ciel had insisted that the demon put him down once they had reached the outskirts of the city, but Sebastian claimed they would get home faster if he carried Ciel instead.

_Bull crap…_

The two males had been traveling for nearly two hours by now; Ciel was beyond irritated. He was exhausted, uncomfortable, and emotionally distressed from being in Sebastian's presence for such a long amount of time. The only upside to traveling for such a long amount of time with his demon master was that Ciel was able to learn how to block Sebastian from reading his thoughts. According to Sebastian, all he had to do was imagine walls around his mind and his thoughts would be effectively blocked. Ciel was going to have to censor exactly which thoughts he kept private and which he didn't; it took a lot of energy to keep up the mental walls.

Sebastian paused to crouch on one of the trees. He shifted Ciel's body to prevent his arm from falling asleep. The boy's fingers had gone numb from the chill of the autumn air and from not moving for the better part of an hour. Ciel frowned and glanced around at their surroundings. From what the boy could see, it looked as if they were nowhere near the mansion.

"Master, how far are we from the manor?" he asked with slight irritation. Sebastian's eyes narrowed as he looked in the distance. A small smirk developed on his face before he turned to his charge with a charming smile.

"It shouldn't take us more than 15 minutes…but what is the rush Ciel? Don't you think it is a beautiful night?" Sebastian asked wistfully as he gazed up at the night sky. Ciel yawned sleepily as he gazed at his master's peaceful face. The immortal had closed his eyes, causing his entire face to relax. A small smile formed on his lips as a brief gasp of air blew over his perfect face. The moonlight gave the man an ethereal glow, causing Ciel's breath to catch. The stars in the night sky made it seem as if Sebastian was part of a portrait painted by the greatest painter in the world. The boy looked away and closed his eyes as a cool breeze washed over him. The demon was correct in the fact that it was a beautiful night, but Ciel was exhausted from the ordeal he had just gone through. He wanted nothing more than to curl up in his bed and sleep.

"Because it is uncomfortable sitting on a person's arm for over two hours," Ciel replied grumpily. Sebastian smirked at the boy's response. Ciel gasped with surprise when he was suddenly adjusted in his master's arms. The boy was now being held bridal style; Sebastian straightened into a standing position on the tree branch and smiled down at his blushing butler.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ciel asked in a demanding tone. Sebastian beamed down at the young child.

"Why, I am only making you more comfortable. So instead of sitting on my arm, you are now lying in my arms. Isn't it much better to lay rather than to sit somewhere?" Sebastian asked slyly. Ciel growled and tried to pull down his skirt, which kept riding up, exposing more of his undergarments.

"Not when I'm in a dress-" Ciel quickly cut himself off. Sebastian's smile widened, and Ciel looked away with a huff. He cut himself off because he didn't want the demon to get the wrong idea.

_[If he thinks that I only don't like being carried when I'm in a dress, he will carry me like this all the time!]_

Sebastian resumed jumping from tree to tree. The boy did his best to ignore the familiarity of his position as they headed home. The feel of resting against the man's broad chest caused his own to tighten with raw emotion. Sebastian's strong arms holding his body made Ciel think of times when those arms had wrapped him in a forbidden embrace. Every now and then, the child butler would catch a whiff of Sebastian's scent. He was instantly brought back to the times when they would roll under his master's covers in the heat of their shared passion.

_Or so I had thought it was shared…_

All of these thoughts stemming from the position he was currently being held in only caused him to think about who Sebastian had really chosen. Based on Ciel's observations, it was clear that he was going to continue lying to his fiancée. It was highly unlikely that Sebastian would break off a centuries old engagement just for a human pet. It wouldn't be proper. Ciel folded his arms over his chest and gripped tightly onto his arms. He bit his lip and closed his eyes to calm down his emotions. The demon glanced down to look at his companion. A look of understanding flirted across his face.

_Everything will be solved before this night is out…_

Fifteen minutes later, Sebastian landed on the ledge of one of the windows to his expansive estate. With practiced ease, he skillfully opened the window without jarring Ciel. Ciel's eyes sleepily fluttered open when he felt his surroundings go from cool to warm. He had just started dozing off, so he was slightly discombobulated. The demon smoothly landed in the middle of the room and gently set Ciel on his feet. The boy sighed with relief at finally being on solid ground and at not being held anymore.

The demon appraised his pet for a moment before moving to shut the window to cut off the flow of cool air. The loss of the night air snapped the dark-haired preteen from his slightly sleep-induced state. Ciel blinked with slight confusion; he had never been in this room before. It was clearly a bedroom because there was a bed over to his right. Hanging over the bed was a simple painting of a bowl of artfully drawn fruit. On the left side of the room was a doorway; Ciel assumed it led to the bathroom since most of the rooms in Sebastian's house were constructed in the same way. Ciel could barely make out some of the more finite details of the room since none of the lights were on. The only light he had was currently streaming through the closed window.

Ciel was about to ask Sebastian where they were in the manor when he suddenly felt a pair of sinewy arms wrap themselves around his waist. Gently, he was pulled back to rest against a firm and very warm body. Ciel froze when he felt Sebastian's grip on him tighten slightly. The demon rested his forehead against one of Ciel's shoulders.

"You," he murmured softly before placing a soft kiss on the boy's skin. Ciel's eyes widened from both the action and the word that was just spoken. He swallowed unsteadily as his heart thumped loudly.

"What are you talking about? What do you mean by, 'you'?" he asked in a surprisingly steady voice. Sebastian began to kiss along the boy's shoulder, working his way up to the child's exposed neck.

"You asked me who I would choose, you or Grell. You asked if I would continue to deceive my fiancée or to tell him the truth. All along I had made my choice, but you had never given me the chance to tell you. Now, I am telling you my choice. I chose you, Ciel," Sebastian whispered softly. As if to accentuate his point, the demon began to suckle on the boy's pulse point to mark him as his own, or in this case, as his choice.

Ciel's head whirled as his emotions burst forth. Relief, confusion, suspicion, happiness, anger, triumph individually took over before being instantly washed away by the next tidal wave of emotion. Ciel honestly didn't know what to say. The boy's mouth opened and closed shakily as his heart pounded against his ribcage. He swore that Sebastian could hear his heartbeat because the other male matched the pace of his sucking with the beat of his heart.

At his butler's lack of response, Sebastian took it as a sign that all was going according to his plan. The demon smirked against the dark-haired male's neck, instantaneously jerking Ciel out of his shocked state. With strength that neither one knew he had, Ciel wrestled his way out of his master's embrace. Ciel backed away and glared angrily at his master.

"Stop joking around! You don't really mean that. You're only saying you chose me because you missed having sex! You just want to fuck m-"

"No," Sebastian cut in sharply. Ciel gave the other male a suspicious look before absentmindedly rubbing the small mark on his neck. Sebastian softly smiled at the shorter male before taking a small step closer to the jumpy boy.

"I want to make love to you," Sebastian said tenderly. Ciel's heart fluttered, causing him to inhale sharply. The child had no idea what 'making love' was, but it sounded completely different from having sex or fucking. It sounded much more intimate…

[_Something that should only be done with one's fiancée…_]

Ciel shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. "No. That is an improper request, my lord," Ciel responded stiffly. Sebastian blinked at the dark-haired boy's formality. The butler growled at his master's lack of understanding.

"If you wish to 'make love', then do so with your fiancée-"

"I am afraid that is not possible," Sebastian replied with a smirk. It was Ciel's turn to blink with confusion. He frowned at his smirking master.

"Why is that?" he asked with a hint of hostility. Faster than Ciel's human eyes could catch, Sebastian picked Ciel up and balanced him in his arms. The poor butler didn't even have time to protest before he was suddenly whisked away to another part of the mansion. Sebastian was moving at such a fast pace that Ciel couldn't keep his eyes open out of fear that he would get sick. When they finally reached their destination, Sebastian gently set the shocked child on the ground. Ciel blinked owlishly at the sudden change of location before whirling to face his smirking master.

"What the hell? Why are we outside of your bedroom?" he asked in a demanding tone of voice. Sebastian said nothing; he merely walked past the fuming boy and lightly rapped his hand on the door. Ciel's eyes nearly popped out of his head when the door fell from its frame and into the room.

Or what used to be a room.

The butler's mind was thoroughly blown by the disaster in front of his eyes. Where there used to be a pair of large windows was now a large hole in the wall. Glass was strewn all around the area where the windows should have been. There were several gaps, cracks, and slashes on nearly every wall, varying in size. The large bed Ciel had become all too familiar with was cleanly split in half. Feathers from the pillows were located in random areas of the room, suggesting that they had been torn apart by something razor sharp. The mirror with its gold framing was cracked and perpetually ruined. Ciel inhaled and gagged at the smell of oil from the cracked glass lamp. His butler senses kicked in as he looked at the stain that was left on the floor. Speaking of the floor, several of the floorboards were ripped out. Splintered pieces of wood were scattered around the room, leaving jagged holes where they used to belong. It looked as if a wild animal had torn them apart. All of the pieces of furniture that had once existed in Sebastian's room were either damaged beyond recognition, cut cleanly in half, or embedded in the walls.

Ciel's eyes narrowed as he carefully stepped into the destroyed bedroom. From what he could see, it appeared as if the damage was all caused by one type of weapon…or by one person. "What happened in here?" Ciel asked in a business-type of voice. Sebastian stepped into the room behind his companion and moved to stand by his side.

"The reason why I cannot 'make love' to my fiancée. Not that I would want to in the first place," Sebastian said in a slightly disgusted tone of voice. He shuddered at the mental image before looking down at his emotionless butler. "When I chose you, I also chose to tell my fiancée about **all** parts of our contract," Sebastian explained slowly. Ciel glanced at the immortal out of the corner of his eye. The demon made a sweeping motion with his hand at the mess in front of them. "After I told him, this is the result of his rage. He was originally going to target my study, but I guess he didn't want for me to hate him anymore than I already do," Sebastian's eyebrow twitched with annoyance. "He must've figured that if he destroyed the place where you and I were fulfilling the most controversial part of our contract, he would somehow prevent us from doing such acts. But all he's done is made more work for me…" Sebastian finished in a tired tone of voice.

Ciel gritted his teeth as a troubled look formed on his face. "Why did you do this?" Ciel asked in a strained tone of voice. Sebastian blinked and turned to fully face the child. Ciel clenched his fists by his sides before also turning to fully face his demon master. He looked up at the demon with large, wounded eyes, causing Sebastian's own to soften. "Why would you hurt your fiancée for something as trivial as to have me be your sex pet again? You guys are engaged to be married…you're supposed to love one another and-"

Sebastian released a short laugh at his butler's remark. Ciel's eyes narrowed slightly as the wounded look was replaced with suspicion. "I do not, nor will I ever, love Grell Sutcliffe," Sebastian chuckled at Ciel's shocked facial expression. "Our engagement is not one based off of love. It is merely a punishment enacted by Satan for my behavior when I first became a demon. You see, after I lost my humanity, I was wild and crazy. I took souls indiscriminately, causing chaos in both the demon and the human world. Satan, knowing that death gods are the demons' most hated species and vice-versa, cleverly came up with a plan to both restrain me and to try and unite our races once and for all. I wasn't informed of this arrangement until half a century later, and at that point, it was either death from the several hunters who were chasing after me or an unbreakable engagement solely based on symbolism that a death god and a demon could coexist together," Sebastian slightly frowned at the memory. "Perhaps I should've chosen death…" he said thoughtfully.

Ciel's eyes widened as the truth behind his master's engagement was finally revealed. Sebastian found his butler's wide-eyed facial expression to be absolutely adorable. But he didn't want to scare Ciel away by thrusting himself upon the child. With all the restraint the demon had in him, Sebastian reached out a hand and lightly rested his hand on Ciel's cheek. The man's warm touch caused a violent tremor to go through Ciel's body before he became virtually paralyzed. Ciel locked eyes with his calm master.

"Ciel, I want to kiss you. I want to carry you in my arms to the most private room in my manor and make love to you until the sun rises. I want to break you completely so that I may be the one to put you back together again…Ciel, I want you. Will you let me have you again?" Sebastian asked sincerely.

Ciel honestly didn't know what to say. He searched in his master's crimson depths for even a hint of dishonesty or deception, but he couldn't find a trace of such deceitful emotions. The young Phantomhive found that he couldn't breathe; his master's words in themselves were like the sweetest drug on this Earth. His heart was practically breaking his ribs from how hard it was pounding. The amount of sheer emotion that he felt in his body seemed to crush and envelop him in a haze of indecisiveness. He wanted to believe that everything Sebastian had said was true, but he couldn't forget the fact that Sebastian was a demon. It was in this man's nature to lure in his prey with his sweet words and gestures. Even Father Gregory had said so himself; Sebastian's true goal was to merely darken his soul to perfection.

But above all else, Ciel was frightened. He had no idea what making love was. He wasn't sure if he could trust Sebastian again. He didn't even understand how he felt for the man standing before him! What about Grell? Based on Sebastian's earlier words, the death god was still Sebastian's fiancée. Participating in what may be a highly intimate act with Sebastian could place the delicate balance of the relationship between demons and death gods in jeopardy. Ciel worried his bottom lip as he tried to formulate an answer to his master's request. Ciel's response shocked the living daylights out of his master.

He ran.

It was a completely natural response; when the prey is frightened and doesn't know where to go, it will run.

But Sebastian wasn't going to let Ciel get away…not again.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that he was still wearing a constricting corset, but Ciel found himself suddenly cornered against one of the destroyed walls of his master's room. He looked up at Sebastian with an irritated and bewildered look. Sebastian's arms remained as a cage around the highly confused child. The demon wasn't going to let Ciel go…not tonight.

"I-I don't know, damn it! I can't bring myself to believe your words…you might be deceiving me right now, and I wouldn't even know it. I don't know what to do… I don't know what you want from me," Ciel finished with a whisper. Sebastian's facial expression softened as he looked at his pet.

"I want you to give yourself to me," Sebastian said again. Ciel gulped before locking eyes with his master. He was both physically, mentally, and emotionally trapped. He should've known that he wouldn't be able to run away from his master. He was only human. And because of such a fatal flaw, the boy found his resistance crumbling by the millisecond. Sebastian's hands moved from their position on the wall and migrated to rest on Ciel's hips. The child flinched at his master's touch and squeezed his eyes shut. He began to wiggle in his master's hold, causing the demon's grip to tighten slightly.

"Don't run away, Ciel," the demon whispered. Ciel felt himself being physically pulled towards his master's body. The boy froze as Sebastian wrapped him in an embrace. Ciel was now pressed firmly to Sebastian. The taller male rested his face in Ciel's hair. He placed a chaste kiss on the crown of Ciel's head, causing Ciel's whole body to flare with a burning need. "Let me have you again… at ahuvati (1)," Sebastian murmured. Ciel's eyes opened with confusion.

"What did you say?" he asked. Sebastian moved his face away from Ciel's head to look down at his bewildered servant.

"I wish to h-"

"No, not that," Ciel cut in. A faint blush was dusting the bridge of his nose. "You said something else, only it was in a different language. What did you say?" Ciel asked again. An amused look filtered into Sebastian's eyes.

_It appears as if Tanaka hasn't taught Ciel __**all**__ of the languages that I can speak…_

"I'm not sure what you are talking about," he said with mock confusion. Ciel's eyes narrowed before he frowned.

"Did you insult me?" Ciel asked in an accusatory tone of voice. When Sebastian didn't respond, Ciel growled with annoyance. "You just insulted me and yet you want me to give myself to you? Unbelievable…" Ciel mumbled before turning to look out the big gaping hole in the wall. Sebastian silently observed as Ciel's face morphed from an annoyed to a thoughtful look. The dark-haired boy bit his bottom lip and looked down at the floor.

"Okay…" he whispered in a barely audible tone of voice. "If it is what the master wants-"

"Is it what you want?" Sebastian cut in gently. Ciel blinked and looked up at his demon master. "When two people make love, it must be what both parties want or else it is pointless," Sebastian explained.

_What I want? Isn't a butler supposed to want what the master wants?_

"I don't know," Ciel said with confusion. His mind was screaming at him to tell his master no. The demon was giving him the opportunity to run away.

But his heart…

He looked down at the ground as he carefully thought about what he wanted. Sebastian genuinely smiled before tilting Ciel's face up.

"Then allow for me to help you make your decision," Sebastian whispered before slowly leaning down.

Imagine Ciel's surprise when the demon gave him the sweetest and most gentle kiss he had ever received. The boy's eyes nearly popped out of his head at the feel of the other man's lips gently resting against his. It was like an electric current had run through his entire body. Ciel's heart leaped from its position in his chest all the way to his throat. He found he had lost the ability to breathe and move. If he could cry, this kiss would've caused tears to spring to his eyes. The younger boy could feel his cheeks warm up when Sebastian began to sensually move his lips. Ciel had honestly forgotten what it felt like to be kissed by his master. It had been so long…

Flashbacks of the times they had spent together flashed through Ciel's mind. The demon pulled Ciel even closer to his body, and Ciel gasped at the change of position before clutching onto the front of his master's coat. Sebastian gently slid his tongue into Ciel's mouth, causing the dress-wearing boy to tremble in his arms. The feel of the other man's tongue in his mouth made Ciel release a shaky moan filled with want. Ciel squeezed his eyes shut in embarrassment.

After a moment, Sebastian reluctantly pulled away to allow for Ciel to take a breath. He smirked when Ciel's lips slightly followed after his retreating ones. Ciel's eyes slowly slid open; the kiss and the look on Sebastian's face were the final blows to his resistance.

"I want you too… master," Ciel whispered in a breathless, but steady, tone of voice.

No sooner did the words exit his mouth, Ciel once again found himself being carried in his master's arms. This time, Sebastian moved at a slow pace, allowing for the boy to keep his eyes open. Neither said a word as they walked through the empty corridors of Sebastian's home. Ciel could feel anxiety building up inside of him; Sebastian's gentleness set his nerves on end. Also, he still didn't know what making love really meant.

_Sebastian is being so gentle…too gentle. Is he trying to make me comfortable before we make love? No…there must be an underlying reason for his behavior. Does making love with someone hurt? Sebastian said that it requires for both parties to be in agreement with each other…maybe I should've asked what making love really meant…_

Sebastian chuckled, causing Ciel to growl. "Did you read my thoughts again?" Ciel asked in an accusatory tone of voice. Sebastian's eyes went alight with mirth.

"Sometimes you think of some of the cutest things," Sebastian teased. Ciel's eyes narrowed; he was already starting to regret his choice.

No more words were spoken between the two; the only sounds were their breathing, the occasional rustle of clothing, and the sound of Sebastian's dress shoes clicking on the floor. When they finally reached their destination, Ciel's heart stopped beating. Sebastian confidently opened the door to Ciel's bedroom and carried him into the room. The demon calmly set Ciel on the floor and went to close the door. Ciel's anxiety spiked when he heard the door's lock click. They had never done anything…intimate…in Ciel's room before. The boy was feeling slightly apprehensive at the thought of making love in here. This was Ciel's only safe haven in the entire house.

Ciel heard Sebastian come up behind him, but the demon made no moves. He could feel Ciel's uncertainty radiating from the clearly nervous child. The butler steeled himself and turned around to face his master. Sebastian coolly analyzed the blank look on Ciel's face. The demon wasn't sure what he would do if Ciel denied him now when he was so close.

"Why did you bring me to my room, Master? I don't think my room is suitable for you," Ciel finished with embarrassment. Sebastian glanced around the room before looking back at his awkwardly standing servant. He smirked and leaned down to whisper in Ciel's ear.

"The only thing I care about in this room is you," he whispered. Ciel's embarrassment spiked at the other man's words.

"Stop sweet talking me, master. It's embarrassing…" Ciel mumbled moodily. Sebastian smirked before cupping Ciel's blushing face between his hands. He pecked the tip of Ciel's nose, causing the child's face to scrunch up.

"First off, do not call me master whenever I make love to you. When we make love, there is no social position, no contract…it is just you and I," Sebastian then moved to place a butterfly kiss on both of Ciel's quickly reddening cheeks. "Secondly, sweet talking is one of the parts of making love, so it cannot be helped," Sebastian then paused to give Ciel a kiss that caused his whole body to tingle with desire. He pulled away, much to Ciel's chagrin, and released the boy's blushing face. Ciel watched as the demon's eyes flashed as his hands traveled to the front of Ciel's dress. The boy's eyes widened when Sebastian moved to rip the garment off of his body. "Third, **this** needs to be off…now," he growled with lust.

"Wait!" Ciel suddenly cried out. He gripped onto Sebastian's hands, forcing the man to stop. Sebastian locked eyes with Ciel, who pushed the man's hands away from his body. "Don't rip it. You spent so much time picking it out-" Ciel abruptly cut himself off. Sebastian smirked as Ciel flushed.

"Oh? I didn't know you cared so much about how I spend my time," Sebastian teased. Ciel frowned before crossing his arms over his chest.

"I don't! It's just…you're moving too fast," Ciel mumbled. He quickly put his head down out of sheer embarrassment from what he had just said. The boy was **really** starting to regret his decision to do this with Sebastian. The demon blinked at his pet's words before he was hit with sudden understanding. He smirked™ and tilted Ciel's face up. Ciel froze when Sebastian's thumb gently ran over his bottom lip.

"Then allow for me to slow things down for you. Besides, we have all night," Sebastian finished seductively, causing Ciel to shiver. Ciel's eyes slid shut as Sebastian kissed him for the third time in one night. The boy's hands went up to hesitantly wrap around the man's neck as he stood on his tiptoes to better reciprocate the kiss. Sebastian's hands migrated to Ciel's cinched in waist; now that Ciel was actively participating in the kiss, the demon felt he could be more daring. The kiss was slow, amorous, and seductive; it excited Sebastian and caused raw need to singe every nerve ending in Ciel's body. Ciel quickly pulled away from the kiss to gasp for much needed air. Ciel glared at his master when Sebastian quirked an eyebrow at him.

"I…can… barely breathe. Th-This corset…is making i-it hard…to…breathe," Ciel complained grumpily. Sebastian nodded with understanding.

"It won't be constricting you for much longer," Sebastian said. Ciel swore that it was the demon's goal to make him pass out from lack of oxygen before the night was out. He forgot to breathe as his master slowly began to undress him. It was now clear to Ciel that making love encompassed the same principles as having sex…on a physical level. The man's gloved hands gently brushed the sleeves of Ciel's dress off of his arms, with Ciel assisting him in removing them completely. The demon gently kissed and stroked the newly revealed skin, causing Ciel to inhale sharply at the feel.

Even though Sebastian was doing the same things he normally would when Ciel acted as his sex pet, the way it **felt** was completely different. Sebastian's kisses were like brands of hot iron on his skin, causing him to gasp and shudder. Every touch from his master's gloved hands made his eyes flutter and his throat constrict. He was feeling emotions he didn't even know existed as Sebastian continued with his ministrations. Ciel now realized that making love involved one's emotions along with one's body. In a sense, it was the same yet completely different from just having sex.

Ciel was so caught up in his emotional whirlwind that he didn't even notice that the other man had removed his black gloves from his body. Sebastian smirked at his pet before engaging the boy in a kiss flaring with unrestrained passion. Their lips molded and caressed each other as hands roamed over previously untouched areas. The demon pulled Ciel so close to his body that the boy wondered if he would melt into the other. Sebastian's hands migrated to the back of the boy's dress. Ciel shivered when he suddenly felt a cool breeze. Sebastian released the boy from the kiss and watched with hunger as the dress fell from Ciel's body. Dressed in only his feminine undergarments, both Ciel and Sebastian contemplated how to get rid of the clothing. There were so many layers…

Sebastian placed a finger right above where the first layer began and ran it down the length of Ciel's body. Ciel's eyes widened when all of his clothing, now ripped cleanly in half, dropped off of his body and pooled at his feet. He fixed Sebastian with a half-hearted glare. Sebastian merely shrugged his shoulders.

"It is not as if you will ever need to wear those again. Plus, I didn't spend a lot of time on picking those out in the first place," Sebastian said in an uncaring tone of voice. Ciel shivered again from the chill of his unheated room while gratefully inhaling the oxygen his body had been denied from wearing the corset. He wrapped his arms around his naked body and attempted to generate his own heat.

Suddenly, it hit him; he was standing, completely naked, in front of his master.

The amount of blood that settled on Ciel's face nearly caused the poor child to pass out right then and there. Sebastian smiled softly before taking a step towards the blushing boy. "I'm going to make sure that you don't forget what happened tonight," Sebastian promised in a velvety tone of voice. The boy smirked and looked directly into Sebastian's eyes.

"It seems as if you are more focused on your words than your actions tonight. Don't **tell **me what you're going to do to me; just **do** it, Sebastian," Ciel finished confidently. The sound of his own name falling from those sinfully pretty lips of Ciel's caused Sebastian's restraint to completely fall apart. Ciel squeaked with surprise when Sebastian suddenly captured his lips in a highly possessive kiss. The force of the kiss had Ciel bending backwards over the arm Sebastian was holding against his back. He had to remember to breathe as he felt his knees go weak. He clutched onto the older male as the demon literally stole his breath away. Ciel made little noises in the back of his throat as Sebastian continued to kiss him fervently. When Sebastian finally pulled away, both of them were panting and gasping for air.

"Bed," Sebastian said, breathing heavily, "**now**." Ciel nodded quickly as he desperately tried to refill his oxygen-deprived lungs. The demon swept his little pet off of his feet and carried him over to the bed. He softly laid the boy down on the bed before moving to remove some of his own attire. Ciel breathed harshly from the kiss as his master began to eagerly undress right before his eyes. The boy looked away every now and then out of respect for the immortal, causing Sebastian to smirk. When his entire top half was bare, the demon crawled on top of his pet. The immortal couldn't help but to smile at the familiarity of this position. Only a few weeks ago, Ciel had been lying underneath him, waiting to be dressed. Now, he was lying underneath him, waiting for the demon to make love to him. Only this time, the boy's eyes were flitting between his exposed chest and the wall.

"You know," Sebastian started before grabbing for Ciel's hand and bringing it up to touch his chest. "You can touch if you like," he finished with a sexy smirk. Ciel didn't know whether he should reprimand the man or say nothing at all. The heat from his enflamed cheeks seemed to fry his brain, cutting off all thought processes.

"Sh-Shut up! Just get on with it already…" Ciel mumbled. Sebastian smirked before placing another gentle kiss on Ciel's lips. He pulled away and smiled, causing the boy to figuratively melt.

"As you wish…Ciel," he whispered. Ciel's heart stopped before it erratically began beating again when Sebastian latched onto his neck. Ciel's hand clutched onto his master's hair as his oversensitive body swam in pleasure. The demon intermittently sucked, bit, and licked the patch of skin, making Ciel's eyes flutter. It had been so long since his master had done something like this to him. It was almost frightening how easily his body was responding to the stimulus. Sebastian smirked as he released the boy's neck to examine the new mark on his pet's skin. The demon's eyes traveled up to his servant's flushed face that was surrounded by the hair from the pieces Madam Red had attached.

"Fiona is cute and all," Sebastian said thoughtfully, causing Ciel to blink with slight confusion. The immortal unclipped the hair pieces and tossed them over his shoulder. "But I prefer you like this, Ciel," Sebastian finished. Ciel opened his mouth to retort, but the only sound he released was a very high-pitched mewl, stemming from a certain raven-haired man who had latched onto one of his nipples. Sebastian smirked when he heard the child's mewl of pleasure. The demon mentally mapped out his butler's body and began to run his hands over all of the hypersensitive locations he had found while Ciel had been sleeping.

Ciel was struck dumb, deaf, and blind from the shockwaves of pleasure that coursed through his sex-deprived body. Every touch now burned as if he was engulfed in flames from the very pit of hell itself. "A-Aaaah! Oh my… S-Sebaaaastian!" Ciel moaned softly as the demon gently ran his hand over the boy's inner thigh. The demon smirked when his eyes trailed over the boy's bottom half. The child's tiny erection was starting to leak precum, making the demon's eyes lid with desire.

"Move to the head of the bed, Ciel," Sebastian ordered calmly. It took awhile for Ciel's pleasure-hazed mind to comprehend his master's words. When he was finally able to understand the other male's order, he shakily rolled over and crawled on his hands and knees over to the head of the bed. Ciel could feel his master's eyes trained on his butt, so he threw a half-hearted glare over his shoulder before quickly moving towards the head of the bed. Sebastian chuckled when he heard his younger partner call him a pervert before he fully moved onto the bed. He kicked off his shoes before perching himself above Ciel.

"I'm going to blow your mind, Ciel," Sebastian promised in a voice dripping with lust and seduction. Ciel gave the other man a confused look when Sebastian put one of his gloved hands in front of his mouth. His brain suddenly checked back in, and Ciel couldn't stop his cheeks from flushing. With a shy look in his eyes, the boy gently bit the end of Sebastian's glove and pulled it off with his teeth. Sebastian intently watched as the boy brought his other hand to his mouth and repeated the motion. Ciel tossed the two gloves off of the bed in a way that the immortal found to be oddly sexy. The demon then leaned down and captured the boy's lips in a scorching kiss. Ciel moaned softly before wrapping his arms around his master's neck. Sebastian smirked into the kiss, and wrapped his ungloved hand around his pet's anatomy, causing Ciel to break the kiss to release a shocked cry. Out of habit, Ciel covered his mouth with his hand to prevent any shameful noises from coming out. Sebastian sighed with mock disappointment as he began to pump his hand, causing the dark-haired child to writhe in ecstasy. "Honestly Ciel, you should know by now that you shouldn't muffle your voice…especially when I will have you screaming by the end of the night," Sebastian said slyly. Ciel's eyes narrowed at the raven-haired man's words. He suppressed the noises he was going to make and uncovered his mouth.

"Sh-Shut u-up! Ahn~!" Ciel quickly clapped a hand over his mouth when one moan managed to slip past his kiss-swollen lips. Sebastian cocked his head to the side as he increased his pumping speed.

"Now now, you shouldn't be able to speak… I must remedy this situation immediately," he finished sexily.

And remedy he did.

The demon removed his hand and smirked at the muffled whine that met his ears. He placed kisses on Ciel's body as he moved down towards his destination, causing the child to arch and shiver. Ciel gave the other man a shocked look when he saw his master position his face above the boy's groin.

"S-Sebasti-AAAAH!" Ciel released a strangled cry as his member was engulfed by his master's mouth. The dark-haired boy's hands instantly shot out and tangled in Sebastian's raven locks, trying to find something to grip onto. The amount of pleasure that traveled through his underdeveloped body was too much for his brain to even think coherently anymore. The demon smirked around the boy's erection; Ciel was quite small, so it wasn't very hard for Sebastian to perform such a task.

The minute Sebastian started bobbing his head was when Ciel lost control. The boy squeezed his eyes shut and opened his mouth to gasp for air. The demon's tongue swirled around the tiny erection, making Ciel feel as if he was going to cum just from the small amount of stimulation. The boy started to buck into his master's warm and wet cavern, trying to have **more** of this wonderful stimulation, but Sebastian put his hands on the boy's hips and forced them down onto the bed. Ciel opened his eyes to give his master an annoyed look before releasing a small whine of discontent.

"M-Master…nnn, m-m-moooore!" he moaned, hoping to persuade Sebastian to continue with his ministrations. The pale man gave the boy a look, silently reprimanding him for not using his actual name. Ciel swallowed unsteadily and silently cursed himself for being so easily persuaded.

"Sebastian…more!" he managed to gasp out. Sebastian completely released the boy's member and blew out a puff of air on the tip, causing Ciel's whole body to jerk. The demon smirked before he licked at the head of the penis, collecting the precum that was leaking out. Ciel's large, glassy, and unseeing eyes widened at the action. "You sh-shouldn't e-e-eat that!" he cried.

"But Ciel, you taste so sweet," the demon said lustfully, causing the boy to blush in shame and embarrassment. Sebastian chuckled before he put the boy's penis back in his mouth and gave a hard suck. Ciel bit his bottom lip, hard, trying to prevent the scream that was dying to come out. The grip he had on Sebastian's hair tightened enough to cause the demon to feel a slight twinge of pain. He released his servant's member and placed three fingers by the boy's lips.

"If you wish to occupy your mouth, suck these," Sebastian ordered. Ciel blinked at the lack of stimulus and glanced at the digits in front of his lips. When he realized that the man wasn't going to continue with his action, the child gave him a sullen look and obediently opened his mouth. Sebastian smirked triumphantly before moving his fingers into the boy's waiting mouth. At the same time Sebastian went down on the boy, Ciel began to suck on his master's fingers. The timing was too perfect for words.

Ciel squeezed his eyes shut as his toes curled into the sheets from his master's actions. Sebastian moaned softly around the boy's erection from the feel of Ciel's little tongue lapping and wrapping around his fingers. The child was doing his best to wet the fingers as much as possible, knowing from experience that it made things **much** easier in the long run. Little moans and slurping sounds soon filled the once quiet room, causing one of the inhabitants to feel immensely embarrassed while the other was only more turned on.

An all too familiar tightening sensation in Ciel's tummy signaled that the boy was about to release. Sebastian seemed to understand that his servant was close because he began to bob faster, attempting to bring the boy closer to his first orgasm of the evening. Ciel writhed in desperation, trying to hold back his inevitable release to show that he had learned some control. But his master was just so talented, and his tongue felt so good…

And then it all stopped.

Before his servant could even fathom what had just happened, Sebastian pulled his fingers out of his butler's mouth. Giving an appreciative lick to each saliva-slickened digit, he watched with amusement as his gasping, flushed, and sweating pet's eyes fluttered open. Ah, there was the look he had been longing to see. The boy's normal eye was clouded with lust and ecstasy; begging for Sebastian. The demon smirked before bringing his middle finger to the boy's anus. Sebastian positioned his face in front of the hole and exhaled hot air against it, causing Ciel to gasp. He circled the tiny entrance and watched with rapt attention as it twitched and alternated between tightening and relaxing.

Ciel's whole body jerked when the older male's finger and tongue simultaneously slid into the puckered hole. The boy's eyes widened as he opened his mouth in a silent cry. The demon lapped his tongue against his servant's inner walls and wiggled his finger, causing Ciel to squirm and whine with a mix of discomfort and ecstasy. Sebastian watched his servant's reaction as he began to prod around inside of him, searching for that one spot that would make the boy feel good from the inside.

"SEBASTIAN! Oh, oh, ooooh! R-Right there!" Ciel squealed out desperately. The boy's hands gripped onto the sheets as he gritted his teeth from the sheer indecency of this whole act. He absolutely hated how easily the older male could draw out shameful words and noises from his lips. Sebastian withdrew his tongue from Ciel's entrance so that he could get a better view of his pet. A self-satisfied smirk settled on the immortal's perfect face. He brought his unoccupied hand down at the same time that he added a second finger. Ciel bucked when Sebastian's fingers grazed his prostate.

"Is this where you feel good? Or perhaps, is it…here?" Sebastian asked before suddenly rubbing the secret area between the boy's anus and testicles.

"IAH~! Ooooh…my g-god, Sebastian!" Ciel cried out. He couldn't believe what he was feeling right now. It was almost as if his prostate was being rubbed from the inside **and** the outside of his body at the same time (2).

"Now, I may be giving you mind-blowing pleasure, but I am in no way close to nor affiliated with that man," Sebastian said with amusement. If Ciel wasn't currently feeling so wonderful, he would've given the man his best glare. But the boy could barely breathe, let alone speak. Sebastian made a 'come-hither' motion with his fingers that were inside of Ciel, causing the boy's mouth to drop open in stunned astonishment. The demon stimulated the boy's prostate on the outside of his body at a faster rate, causing Ciel's whole body temperature to drastically increase. His bangs clung to his sweat covered forehead as incomprehensible words and embarrassing sounds spilled from his lips.

Just watching his pet moaning and writhing on the bed was enough to make Sebastian cum in his pants. But Ciel had no idea that Sebastian was receiving great pleasure from doing this. Somewhere in the back of the boy's mind, Ciel felt as if he didn't deserve all of this attention. Sebastian himself had said that making love involved both parties, but it seemed as if Ciel was the only one that was getting any satisfaction. He wanted Sebastian to feel good too.

The feeling of sweet release quickly burst through all of Ciel's thoughts and feelings. If he didn't stop his master now…

"Aaaaaah! Ahn, oh! S-Sebastian…st-st-AH! Nnn, o-oh! STOP SEBASTIAN!" Ciel yelled at the last second. The demon instantly froze in shock at the volume and tone of his pet's voice. He gave the child a bewildered look, honestly confused as to why Ciel wanted him to stop. Ciel placed an arm over his eyes as he tried to regain control of his racing heartbeat and breathing. The demon removed his fingers from the boy's entrance, causing the child to wince at the loss.

"Ciel-"

"M-Move…to the e-e-edge of…the b-b-b-bed…Sebastian," Ciel managed to breathe out. The demon cocked an eyebrow at his butler's request. When the boy didn't feel his master move, he removed his arm from his eyes and gave the man a look that dared him to defy him. The boy was now determined to make sure that his master received just as much pleasure as he had just been giving to him. Once he had his mind set, there was very little that anyone could do to change it. Sebastian, still slightly confused by his pet's request, obediently did as he was told. Ciel inhaled slowly, trying to calm himself down and make himself emotionally prepared. He hated the idea of doing such a shameful thing, but it was the only thing he was sure would give Sebastian pleasure. The last time he had done this, he had screwed up so badly that the older male had actually laughed at him.

Ciel slowly sat up and scooted off of the opposite side of the bed. Sebastian's unnaturally colored eyes followed his pet's route as he came around the bed until he was standing in front of him. The demon looked up at the steely-faced child, still lost as to what the child was planning to do. That confusion instantly dissipated when the boy dropped to his knees between Sebastian's legs. With averted eyes and pink-stained cheeks, Ciel fumbled with his master's belt. The demon's eyes widened before he chuckled.

"Well, this is unexpected…I didn't order you to do this, so you don't-"

"I know that!" Ciel instantly retorted. The blush on his cheeks darkened when the belt finally came undone. "I-I want to," Ciel said in a softer tone of voice as his natural shyness began to take over. Sebastian's eyes softened before a small smirk settled on his face. Ciel's mouth went dry as he unzipped the zipper on his master's pants. He licked his lips in an attempt to make them wetter.

Sebastian groaned when the boy finally pulled his pants and underwear down and off to release his erection out of the confines of his pants. Ciel's eyes widened at the size of the other male; he had totally forgotten that his master was so large! Sebastian's eyes lidded with desire at the look of child-like wonder on his butler's face.

"Like what you see, Ciel?" Sebastian said huskily. Ciel shot the other man a glare before focusing his attention on what was in front of his face. He gulped as the thought of backing out came to mind. Ciel mentally shook his head as his natural stubbornness came to the surface; he wasn't a coward! He could do this…he just had to remember everything Sebastian had taught him before and try to imitate Sebastian's earlier actions. He exhaled before poking his tongue through his pretty little lips. Sebastian's breath inaudibly hitched when the boy's tongue hesitantly licked at the tip of his penis. The boy closed his eyes and imagined that he was licking a lollipop instead of his master's…yeah…

That was the trick.

Sebastian watched with hungry eyes as the boy's face relaxed. Ciel's tongue swirled around the tip of his master's erection as the boy's breathing rate picked up. Ciel placed his hands at the base of Sebastian's member as he flicked his tongue against the slit. His eyes popped open when he tasted a bitter and salty fluid.

_He's already reacting? The last time I did this, it took him much longer to get aroused… Maybe I have gotten better!_

Spurred on by the taste, Ciel's licks became more sure and deliberate. The child slowly pumped his master's anatomy while looking up at the man from under his long eyelashes for approval. It took everything Sebastian had not to shove Ciel down onto the floor and have his way with him. Ciel just looked too sexy for words right now; crouching, naked and flushed, on his knees in front of his master's member with an innocent facial expression, just waiting to give him mind-blowing stimulation. The look in his master's eyes caused Ciel to simultaneously smirk and flush. The boy squeezed his eyes shut and opened his mouth. It slowly wrapped around the head of his master's erection, causing Sebastian to groan in pleasure. Confidence receiving a major boost from the sound, Ciel moved further down on his master until the head of the man's dick was touching the back of his throat.

Ciel mentally went through all the instructions his master had given him the first time he had ordered him to do this. Ciel hollowed out his cheeks and sucked, hard, earning him a sharp inhale from the man above him. He began to move up and down on the hardened length, making sure to run his tongue against it every now and then to add extra stimulation. Occasionally, Ciel would move too far down on his master's penis, causing him to choke.

Sebastian smirked as his face occasionally twitched from random jolts of pleasure. His pet wasn't perfect at this, but he had definitely improved from the last time. The man placed one hand on the boy's head and threaded his fingers through the strands. He gave the boy encouraging strokes as he closed his eyes and allowed himself to feel.

"Y-You've become…mmm, much better a-at this," Sebastian commented with some difficulty. Ciel couldn't help but to hum boastfully at making his master stutter, causing the man to grip Ciel's hair. The boy paid no heed to the other man's hold. He completely released Sebastian's member and licked the underside of it, causing the normally stoic man to release another groan filled with appreciation. The child butler smirked before guiding the hardened length back into his warm cavern. He swirled his tongue around it, earning him a choked gasp. Ciel was practically oozing self-confidence from every pore as he continued to give his master a blowjob.

But after some time, Ciel's jaw began to feel sore. Saliva was running from the corners of his mouth and down his chin. The boy was thoroughly disgusted by this fact, but the demon seemed to be unperturbed by it. In fact, Sebastian was very pleased with Ciel's actions; there was just one thing he wanted the boy to do.

"Very good Ciel…n-now, if you looked…uhn…up at me every now and then…" Sebastian trailed off, allowing for his servant to fill in the blank. Ciel glanced up at the older man for a second before quickly averting his eyes. To make eye contact with someone while doing such a shameful act was beyond embarrassing. But if it is what his master wanted…

He released the man's erection with a 'pop' and looked up at his master with hooded eyes, flushed cheeks, and saliva-slickened lips.

It was all it took.

With a shudder that wracked his entire body, Sebastian released…

…right onto Ciel's face. Spurts of his master's hot cum shot continuously onto the boy's face, causing the dark-haired child to flinch and sputter. The preteen couldn't move away from the substance because of his master's grip on his hair. The demon groaned as he threw his head back and continued to release on his pet's face. When Sebastian's orgasm finally ended, Ciel felt something pricking the back of his eyes. He was positively mortified by the feel of the warm, sticky liquid coating his bangs and oozing down his face. His eyes widened while his mouth opened in a small 'o' as his mind tried to figure out what just happened. The demon was shocked that he had came so easily and so much from the boy's actions.

This was **not** what Ciel had planned; he wanted to prove that he knew how to please his master. But he hadn't even been able to tell when his master was close. He must look like such a stupid slut at this moment; only an idiotic one would make such an error…and he probably looked so ugly and disgusting. The boy put his head down in shame and regret; Ciel should've known this was a bad idea. He couldn't even look his master in the face, knowing that the other man was probably dying of silent laughter or sneering in disgust. His hands clenched into fists as the prickling sensation in his eyes became more insistent.

"White really suits you, Ciel," Sebastian murmured in a slightly breathless tone of voice. Ciel's head snapped up at the other man's words. The demon was smiling down at his bewildered partner.

_Is he…trying to make me feel better?_

Ciel blushed and attempted to wipe the other man's essence off of his face. He gasped when he was suddenly jerked up from his position on the ground and onto his master's lap. Out of both instinct and habit, Ciel straddled his master's legs. Sebastian wrapped his arms around Ciel's waist and gave him a mind-blowing kiss before he began to lick off the opaque liquid from the boy's face. Ciel squirmed and squeezed his eyes shut in embarrassment as the man's tongue continued to come in contact with his cum-covered face.

"Sebastian…st-stop! Nnn, I-I can get it m-myself," Ciel protested as he weakly pushed against the other man's shoulders. "I-It's not right for th-the…master…to have to clean th-th-the servant up…I want y-y-you, oh! I-I-I want you t-t-t-to feel g-good too!" Ciel stammered out. Sebastian paused in his ministrations to carefully analyze his servant. The boy's eyes flitted nervously around the room as he silently cursed himself for letting the other male know of his intentions. Sebastian chuckled at his pet's cuteness before placing a sweet kiss on the boy's forehead. Ciel winced at the gentle contact and looked up shyly, but with a hint of suspicion, at the other man.

The demon proceeded to kiss all over the boy. He kissed his pet's blush-stained cheeks; his kiss-swollen cherry-red lips, his cute little button nose, and down the side of the boy's neck, causing Ciel to unconsciously tilt his head to the side. Sebastian's kisses were more intoxicating than the best wine in the entire world; Ciel couldn't get enough of them. As for Sebastian, the immortal couldn't get enough of his pet's delectable body. He flicked and pinched Ciel's nipples, earning him a gasp and a strangled moan. His hands migrated to cup and rub the boy's rounded ass, causing Ciel to blush even redder.

"Getting me to cum at all," Sebastian paused to capture his butler's lips in a steamy kiss that tasted of Sebastian's release, "is a sign that you have made me feel good. But making love is about having **both** participants feel good…" Sebastian trailed off before gently running his hand through Ciel's hair.

"However, if you want to really blow my mind," Sebastian's voice took on a darker and huskier tone. Ciel gasped when Sebastian suddenly laid himself back on the bed, inevitably dragging the other boy down with him. The demon pulled the boy down to nip and suck at the child's plump, swollen, and moistened lips. Ciel breathed harshly at the treatment as his hands scrabbled for purchase. When Sebastian finally released him, he gave the boy a softer and gentler kiss. Ciel shakily perched himself on all fours when the man signaled for him to lift himself up. When Sebastian motioned for the boy to sit back down, the boy felt something hard prick at his butt. His cheeks flamed bright red when he realized it was his master's penis.

_He got hard that quickly?_

Ciel's shocked orbs locked with Sebastian's lust-filled ones. Sebastian leaned up and gently nipped the boy's ear before saying, "Ride me, Ciel." Shortly afterwards, he began to suck on the boy's earlobe. Ciel released a small cry at the stimulus to his sensitive ear before his mind comprehended his master's words. The boy began to feel slightly apprehensive at the thought of doing something so…forward. Ciel had rode Sebastian before, but he always ended up being embarrassed by how quickly he lost control of himself. There was something about being able to control the pace of things that caused Ciel's self-restraint to completely shatter…

But the boy wanted for his master to experience the same pleasure that the immortal always gave to him. That's what it meant to make love, right?

"O-okay, ah!" Ciel cried out. Sebastian smirked and swiped the rest of his cum from the boy's face. He coated his fingers with the makeshift lube and unceremoniously plunged them into Ciel's entrance. Ciel growled at the smirking man as his face and body intermittently tensed and relaxed. "B-Bastard," he managed to gasp out. Sebastian merely smirked as he made a scissoring motion with his fingers, causing Ciel to arch and moan. When the male added a third finger, he coaxed the boy into a passionate kiss to keep his mind off of the uncomfortable stretching that was taking place. When Sebastian deemed the boy stretched enough, he removed his fingers from the boy's hole, earning him a muffled whine of discontent.

"If you want to be filled again, you know what to do," Sebastian whispered against the boy's cheek. He smirked sexily when the boy blushed at the implied order. The man moved his hands so that they were holding the boy's hips, and guided him so that he was hovering over his erection. Ciel, shaking and panting from the kiss and stretching, managed to brace himself against Sebastian's torso. Sebastian placed a kiss on the boy's cheek, causing Ciel to cutely scrunch up his face. "If it hurts, tell me to stop," Sebastian instructed. Ciel nodded obediently, not trusting himself to speak anymore. The demon lay back down on the bed and slowly pulled the boy down onto himself. Ciel gasped and arched his back when the tip finally managed to slip past the first ring of muscle. Sebastian paused when he saw the boy's face scrunch up in pain. Sebastian winced at the partial heat and pressure surrounding his most intimate part.

"Ciel, breathe…it will make it easier," Sebastian stated. Ciel opened his eyes and glared at his master.

"I-I know…ugh…just…d-don't, nnn, stop!" Ciel yelled out in frustration. At the exact same moment that Ciel inhaled, Sebastian pulled the boy all the way down to the hilt of his dick. Ciel shrieked in pain and shock at the sudden penetration. Sebastian winced as he was suddenly engulfed in Ciel's snug heat. The boy's body jerked as Ciel tried to take in air, but to no avail. His breaths came out in harsh gasps and pants as he tried to adjust to his master's size.

While Ciel was struggling to find **some** pleasure in the pain, Sebastian was practically melting from being inside of the boy again. He swore it was like he was taking a virgin…it **always** felt like that with Ciel. No matter how hard or how many times he did him, Ciel was always pleasantly tight. It was like the child's body was made for Sebastian.

"Th-That's, ugh…not wh-what I m-m-meant," Ciel strained to say. Sebastian soothingly ran one of his hands up and down the boy's spine to both alleviate the pain and apologize for the misunderstanding. Ciel gritted his teeth and silently hoped that nothing had torn from his master's rashness. The immortal, in an attempt to help his partner adjust faster, used his other hand to pump the boy's limping member. The boy's eyes flew open at the unexpected touch. Sharp bursts of pleasure intermixed with throbbing pain as the man began to slowly pump the boy's anatomy.

"O-oh! You d-d-don't have t-toooooo, mmm, do th-that," Ciel stuttered breathlessly. Sebastian smirked and locked eyes with his servant.

"I…know that. I want to," Sebastian said smoothly, amusement shining in his eyes. Ciel gave the other man a pointed glare, earning him a chuckle in return. A silence settled over the two, only being broken by Ciel's gasps and small whines. The boy was slowly but surely adjusting; now came the embarrassing part.

Sebastian watched with bated breath as Ciel's trembling thighs slowly spread so that it would be easier for him to move up and down on the other man's shaft. A pretty blush dusted Ciel's cheeks when he locked eyes with his master before quickly looking away. The demon placed steadying hands on the boy's hips, but the dark-haired butler swatted them away. Ciel exhaled before slowly lifting himself up, causing both participants to inhale sharply. When only the head of Sebastian's anatomy was inside of him, Ciel locked eyes with the demon. He suddenly slammed himself down on the hardened length, causing Sebastian to grit his teeth and for Ciel to release a choked gasp.

The boy shakily repeated the same movement, trying his best to ignore the pain that shot through his system. He wanted to make sure that Sebastian was pleased; that was his job as the Michaelis butler. If the other male knew that he was in pain, he would make Ciel stop. Sebastian watched through lidded eyes as his pet awkwardly lifted and lowered himself. For now, the demon was just pleased with the fact that he was engulfed in his pet's tight and familiar heat. Because the inside of the boy was so familiar, Sebastian knew exactly where his prostate was. Ciel released a startled yelp of pleasure when the demon suddenly snapped his hips up and hit his prostate dead on.

"SEBASTIAN!" Ciel cried lustfully. Sebastian smirked and began to meet his pet when the boy would lower himself down. The butler adjusted himself so that it was easier for Sebastian to hit that special place inside of him. Ciel could feel his self-control slipping away as he continued to ride his master but he didn't care anymore. He felt so great and Sebastian looked so pleased and he felt so full and sexy and…

…he was going too slowly for Sebastian's sake. In an attempt to get the boy to move faster, the demon grabbed his pet by the hips and tried to make him speed up. Ciel squealed and scrabbled at Sebastian's chest as the man began to force him down harder, faster onto himself. Ciel could feel his strength leaving his body as pleasure singed his nerves and numbed him to the core.

"S-Slow d-d-down, AAAAAH! T-Too fast…I-I-I can't, mmm! Sebastian!" Ciel cried out desperately. The butler fell forward onto the man below him as he lost all strength in his legs. His body quivered as the demon continued to pound up into him. Ciel clung to Sebastian, panting and moaning loudly at the pleasurably fast pace the older male had set. Sweat formed on the boy's brow as his prostate was abused, causing his body temperature to rise. The demon smirked when Ciel suddenly bit down onto his collarbone to stop himself from being too loud.

"Now, now…we can't…have this. I'm…doing all…the work," Sebastian "complained". Ciel released a whimper when the man stopped to move him back into an upright position. The demon swore that he felt himself become even harder just from the look on the boy's face. Dazed eyes, flushed face, sweat-dampened locks, and swollen lips…all the elements that made Ciel even more desirable to his master. Ciel frowned as he tried to form a coherent complaint.

"Y-Y-You're th-the…one who t-t-took control," Ciel managed to point out. Sebastian tilted his head to the side as an innocent expression formed on his face.

"I did? Well, I won't allow for it to happen again," he said in a matching tone of voice. Ciel licked his bruised lips and decided to pay the demon back for his mocking behavior. Sebastian's eyes widened when the boy moved completely off of his member because he thought the boy was going to get up and leave the room. Without any warning, Ciel sat back down on the hard length and slowly swiveled his hips at the base of it, giving the man his sexiest look. Sebastian groaned in satisfaction. Ciel smirked and began to ride Sebastian again at a torturously slow pace, occasionally rotating his hips in a seductive manner. Every time Sebastian would attempt to touch him, the boy would swat his hands away and shoot him an annoyed look.

_That should teach him…_

Ciel arched and slowly threw back his head when he ended up rubbing against his prostate, releasing a soft moan that drove the man below him crazy with desire. Ciel looked down at the pleased yet frustrated male. "See? Mmm, n-no more work. J-Just…sit back and a-a-allow, ahn~, me to do **everything**," Ciel teased. Sebastian's eyes narrowed slightly at the boy's words. Ciel tilted his head to the side as he shallowly rose and fell on the man's length, causing the demon to release a low growl.

"Nnn, wh-what's wrong…S-Sebastian? I-Isn't, ah! Isn't this what y-y-you want?" Ciel asked in a patronizing tone. Suddenly, the raven-haired man's eyes shifted to their glowing state and before Ciel could even blink, he was removed from his master's cock and flipped onto his back on the bed. Ciel stared up in shock from his splayed out position underneath a panting and lust-filled demon.

"No," Sebastian whispered in a dangerous tone of voice, causing Ciel's eyes to widen. The immortal grabbed one of the boy's legs and hooked it over his shoulder. He looked deep into the boy's mismatched and widened eyes before smirking dangerously.

"I want to make you scream with pleasure," he finished.

And scream Ciel did.

The older man began to pound ruthlessly into the boy underneath him, causing Ciel to scream at pitches neither thought he could reach. He clutched onto the sheets beneath him as the older man took him away to a land full of nothing but pleasure and lust.

"Oh…oh…oh! S-Sebastian! F-Faster, mmm-YAAHAH!" Ciel cried out. The demon smirked before pausing to hook the boy's other leg over his shoulder. Ciel's eyes rolled back in his head when the demon slammed into him from the new angle. He could barely breathe, let alone see his surroundings. His body was hypersensitive to everything that his master did to him. When the demon ran a hand affectionately through his hair, Ciel felt as if he was being burned by the flame from a candle.

Perhaps he was.

Perhaps this sinful pleasure was his little taste of hellfire…or maybe heaven considering the fact they were making love and not **just** having sex. Ciel could actually feel his own emotions being gently brought to the surface by his master's pleasurable touch. It didn't even occur to Ciel that he was still sleeping with an engaged man. All he cared about was Sebastian the demon, not his duties and current marital status, who was complying with his incomprehensible demands.

When Ciel was able to focus through his pleasure-filled haze, he could see that his master was looking at him and only him. Warmth that spread from his heart all the way to the tips of his toes made itself known as he locked eyes with the devil above him. Sebastian nearly bent the boy in half as he engaged Ciel in a tongue-tangling kiss. Ciel moaned and adjusted himself into a more comfortable position; knees became reacquainted with chest as Ciel opened his body up to his master's corrupted yet gentle touch.

"Fuck…Ciel…you're so…tight," Sebastian cursed quietly. Ciel grit his teeth as a shockwave of pleasure raced through his body. It was rare for his master to cuss, so it was obvious that the boy was doing something right to make him lose control.

"Sebastian….ahn, YES!" Ciel cried out when said man began to drive even harder into his prostate gland. Feeling his grip on reality quickly slipping away, the butler reached out for the older male, causing Sebastian to smirk. The demon complied and allowed for Ciel to hook his arms around his neck. Ciel adjusted his position so that his legs were now wrapped around his master's waist. The demon burrowed his face between the junction of Ciel's neck and shoulder, getting even more turned on by the close proximity of his servant's screams and gasps for air washing over the shell of his ear. The immortal nipped at the flushed skin, earning him a pleased mewl from his pet.

He pulled away and slowed down his thrusting pace so that he could clearly see the emotions flitting across his beautiful butler's face. Pleasure, shame, euphoria, pain, and even fear each presented themselves to Sebastian's intense eyes as the demon continued to reclaim his pet. Ciel swallowed unsteadily as a thought popped into his head. He opened his eyes to look up at the man who was making love to him in his own bed.

"S-S-Sebastian…do y-you do th-th-this with o-other people…often?" Ciel asked, feeling more warmth settle on his cheeks at the obvious vulnerability he was showing. The demon blinked and stopped thrusting. He mulled over his servant's question before softly smiling down at the boy. He chuckled, causing Ciel to shakily frown, before giving him a tender kiss.

"You…and one other person…are the only ones I have ever done this with," Sebastian said truthfully. He leaned down and whispered softly into Ciel's ear, "and you are the one who I enjoyed it with the most," the demon finished. The boy was really glad that he seemed to have an inability to cry or else his master's words would've caused tears to fall from his eyes.

"I-I see," Ciel stammered before looking over to the wall out of shyness. The demon smiled at his pet's adorable behavior and brushed his lips against the boy's exposed cheek before reaching for one of Ciel's hands that were clutching onto him. Ciel gave the man a wary look before he released a soft gasp as the pale male pressed a soft kiss to the back of his hand. The gentle contact caused Ciel's eyes to sting and his whole body to flare as if he was burning from the inside out.

"Hopefully, you will not make love with anyone other than me," Sebastian murmured as he pointedly looked at his servant.

"I won't!" Ciel instantly responded. Both master and servant were shocked by Ciel's answer; Ciel was shocked that he had answered so quickly, and Sebastian was shocked that he had answered with such conviction. Ciel flushed and began to stutter out excuses and negations for his response. Sebastian smiled genuinely at his flustered servant before gently silencing the boy with a kiss. The demon pulled away after a moment with the same smile still on his face.

"I'm glad," Sebastian whispered. Ciel's heart raced at both the smile and the kiss he had just received. Sebastian slowly started thrusting into the boy again and began to gain momentum as he brought his pet closer to sweet release. Ciel released choked gasps and cries as his demon master resumed his previous pace. The dark-haired child's head sometimes bumped into the headboard from the force of his master's thrusts, but he found he couldn't even feel a twinge of pain in the haze of pleasure. His emotions swirled around inside of him, suffocating him and making it even harder for him to breathe. Sebastian grunted as sweat began to roll down his face from the heat of their shared passion. Ciel released a lengthy moan when Sebastian slightly changed the angle of his thrust.

"UWAH! Sebastian…I-I think I'm…ahn! I'm g-g-gonna, nnn! Oh! I'M GONNA BREAK!" Ciel cried out nonsensically. Sebastian's smile widened at the boy's words; this is exactly what he had wanted.

"Break for me, Ciel…shatter completely for me my pet so that I may pick up all of the pieces," Sebastian growled out as he pounded even harder into the screaming boy beneath him. Ciel shrieked at both the unrelenting pressure in his stomach and at the new pace his master set. His contracted eye slightly prickled when Ciel didn't immediately accept his master's order. Ciel eventually managed to nod and hung on tighter to Sebastian. The demon watched as his pretty pet slowly began to unravel right before his eyes. His mismatched eyes were squeezed closed, but the demon could see the boy's eyes frenziedly moving underneath his eyelids. His mouth was open and emitting the most beautiful sounds Sebastian had ever heard. His face was prettily flushed, and his bangs were practically like a second skin on his forehead.

Sebastian suddenly jerked the boy up from his position and placed him in his lap, never once slowing down his pace. Ciel's eyes snapped open as he was slammed into from a completely different angle. He clutched onto the older male and buried his face in the junction of his master's neck and shoulder. He shrieked at the harshly pleasurable pace as his head spun from the intensity of his impending release.

"Nyaaaaah! S-So deep, Sebaaaastian! Oh…d-don't…agh! ... me…mmm! Please!" Ciel cried out incomprehensibly. Sebastian wrapped his arms around his shaking pet and positioned his lips by the boy's red-tipped ear.

"Do not worry…Ciel. I will **never** let you go," Sebastian promised before nipping the boy's ear. Ciel squeaked at a surprisingly high pitch, causing Sebastian to growl in return. Ciel shakily moved from his position against his master's shoulder to look the man in the eyes. Sebastian stared down into his butler's questioning eyes. Ciel suppressed the urge to ask the question and completely cleared his mind of such thoughts. The boy slowly closed his eyes and leaned up slightly, hoping his master would get the hint. The demon's eyes widened at the boy's silent request for a kiss. Sebastian quickly got over the shock and smirked before tenderly pressing his lips onto Ciel's waiting ones.

It was all Ciel needed.

The combination of his master's gentle kiss and relentless thrusting into his entrance pushed him over the edge. Ciel ripped his mouth away from Sebastian's and screamed out his release. The boy's essence coated both his and Sebastian's torso as his body shook and his hole sporadically tightened and relaxed. The demon bit down on Ciel's shoulder to muffle his own cry of ecstasy as he spilled himself into Ciel's entrance.

For a moment, Sebastian held them both in an upright position as he rode out his orgasm. Not once did he release his grip on his quivering pet. Ciel harshly panted as he rested his head against his master's sturdy chest. His heart painfully pounded against his ribcage as he slowly came down from his high. He closed his eyes because he couldn't focus on anything in the room; his mind was too scattered to see things clearly. He relished in the odd feel of both his master's softening cock and his squishy cum simultaneously occupying his hole. The preteen resisted the urge to wiggle, knowing it would only feel even weirder.

Sebastian grunted before suddenly falling down onto the bed. Ciel gasped as the man's weight rested fully on his hypersensitive body. This time, the butler did not hesitate to wiggle in an attempt to get the older male off of him.

"M-Master…you're heavy," Ciel complained. Sebastian chuckled before pulling out and rolling off of his younger companion. The boy winced at the loss and did his best to ignore the feeling of cum running down his thighs. Ciel rolled over to face the other male. The demon rested on his elbow and looked down at Ciel with a smirk.

"And you…are amazing," Sebastian whispered. Ciel blushed and averted his eyes from his raven-haired master. The devil leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to his pet's lips. He pulled away with a smile, causing Ciel to frown with disapproval.

"You came inside me you know…" Ciel trailed off as his eyes pointedly looked down at his fluid-covered body. Sebastian's eyebrow quirked at his pet's off-topic response.

"My apologies," Sebastian responded formally. Ciel rolled his eyes and looked deep into his master's eyes.

_[I should not continue to rest here…it is improper and not something a butler would do. But for some odd reason, I…really want to stay…]_

"Good night… my lord," Ciel softly declared, causing Sebastian's eyes to widen. Ciel rolled over and slowly moved off of the bed. The demon watched as his servant searched for something proper to wear before exiting the room.

"Why do you always leave when we finish?" Sebastian asked seriously. Ciel didn't respond for a moment as he rummaged through his dresser for his nightshirt.

"Because it is improper…" Ciel mumbled quietly, knowing that his demon master could clearly hear his words (3). "Besides, it is not as if I wish to stay in the first place," Ciel declared at a normal volume. He winced slightly; he might not be able to speak tomorrow on account of his screaming tonight.

Sebastian carefully analyzed his dressing butler. The boy refused to make eye contact with him, only causing the devil's suspicions to heighten. When Ciel finished buttoning up the white nightshirt, he turned to leave his own bedroom.

"Please rest well," Ciel said formally, his back to Sebastian the whole time.

"Where are you going to sleep tonight, Ciel? This is **your** room," Sebastian pointed out as he sat up on the bed. Ciel stiffened at the man's question before he uncaringly shrugged his shoulders.

"There are plenty of spare bedrooms in your expansive estate. It does not really matter to me where I sleep," Ciel said in a stoic tone of voice. The boy opened the door to leave the room.

**SLAM!**

Ciel's heart leaped into his throat for two reasons: the sound of the door slamming shut frightened him and his master's body was pressed firmly against his back. Silence settled over the two as neither one moved an inch. Slowly, Sebastian moved until his lips were resting on the shell of Ciel's ear.

"What if I do not wish for you to leave?" Sebastian whispered softly. Ciel froze when he felt his master's hands rest on his hips. The boy allowed for himself to be turned around in the arms of his master. The sound of the man's voice had entranced him in its hypnotizing spell. The demon leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his butler's lips. Ciel's eyes widened at the motion; he did not respond because he was so shocked. Sebastian pulled away after a moment and locked eyes with Ciel.

"What if I said I didn't care about what was proper for one night? What if I want for you to share the same bed with me tonight? What would you say, Ciel?" Sebastian asked in a hushed tone. Ciel blinked at the older male's question.

[_Is he for real? He cannot possibly mean what he is saying…knowing him, he has some hidden agenda to go for more than one round in one night. And yet…_]

Ciel smirked and cupped the side of Sebastian's face with one hand. The demon froze at the unexpected physical contact; it was rare for Ciel to initiate those types of things. The boy stood on his tiptoes and positioned his lips by the man's ear.

"I would say…no," he whispered loftily. Sebastian blinked at his pet's refusal; he didn't think that Ciel would still have such a stubborn streak after what had just taken place. Ciel moved away from the older male and swatted Sebastian's hands off of his body. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared up at the pale immortal.

"Besides, my bed is too small for both of us to occupy it comfortably," Ciel sniffed daintily before looking pointedly at his own body. "Not only that, I need to take a bath before I sleep anywhere," Ciel said with a slight hint of disgust. As if on cue, a tiny amount of cum trickled down Ciel's leg. Sebastian smirked as an idea popped into his head; perhaps Ciel still had too much energy to resist his advances.

_If that is the case, then I have some serious work to do…_

Ciel gasped when Sebastian suddenly picked him up and cradled him in his arms. A faint blush colored Ciel's cheeks as he glared at the beaming demon. "Put me down, Master! I am tired and need to wash off my b-"

"As do I," Sebastian quickly cut in.

"Huh?" Ciel responded. Sebastian's smile widened as he looked down at his confused and slightly flustered pet.

"I am also in need of a bath. Since it would be highly inconvenient for you to have to make two separate baths for us, I propose we take one bath…together," Sebastian added huskily, causing Ciel's whole body to shiver in trepidation.

"I-I really do not mind…I can make two baths!" Ciel protested, trying to find a way to prevent the inevitable. Sebastian merely hummed and began walking towards Ciel's bathroom.

"Well then, let me put it this way; I would rather not have to bathe alone. I might drown since I do not know how to bathe myself…" Sebastian said with mock seriousness. Ciel's eyes narrowed in agitation.

"Liar; you are a liar! You are over 500 years old! You know how to bathe yourself!" Ciel yelled. When Sebastian continued to walk to the bathroom, Ciel began to struggle in his master's hold. "Th-This isn't proper, my lord!" Ciel reminded the older man. Sebastian paused to sigh, causing Ciel to raise an eyebrow.

"I swear, I am going to completely remove 'proper' from your vocabulary by the end of this night," Sebastian thought out loud.

Ciel's eyes widened at his master's declaration. The boy opened his mouth to scream for help, but Sebastian was too quick for him. Simultaneously, the demon closed and locked the bathroom door while giving Ciel a kiss that effectively distracted him from thoughts of escape.

**XXX**

Moonlight from the uncovered bedroom window illuminated two peacefully sleeping individuals, giving them both ethereal glows. A peaceful silence enveloped the bedroom, only being broken by the rhythmic ticking from the clock. One of the sleeping figures slightly shuffled the sheets as he adjusted himself into a more comfortable position before falling still again. The small movement did not disturb either of the sleeping people. Well, only one person was actually sleeping; the other was contentedly watching that person sleep.

Sebastian smiled softly down at Ciel as his eyes ran over the boy's sleeping form. The demon had missed seeing the boy look so peaceful. His entire body and face were relaxed, giving off the appearance of complete serenity and innocence. The demon smirked at the irony of calling Ciel innocent after all they had just done in one night.

They had passionately made love **three** more times after the first time.

The first of the three occurred in the bath, just like Sebastian had planned. Of course, Ciel had resisted, insisting that he was too tired to engage in such activities again. But Sebastian's touches and words eventually seduced the boy into giving his body to him again. The demon had found it highly erotic having Ciel bend over the side of the tub and cry out for him. His cries had echoed wonderfully off of the walls. The sound of the sloshing water had also added to the symphony of lovemaking, only increasing Sebastian's arousal.

The other two times occurred by complete accident.

After they had finished making love in the tub, both of them had stepped out of the bath. Ciel had dried off Sebastian first since he had thought he was going back to being a butler again. Sebastian had patiently waited for the child to finish his duty, demonic lust momentarily sated. When Ciel had finished drying his master, he had turned to place the towel back onto the rack. He had grabbed for his own and began to dry off his body, grumbling about perverted masters who wouldn't allow for their servants to sleep. Then, without any warning, his legs had given out under him. Sebastian, of course, had caught him and held him securely in his arms. Ciel had then berated his demon master for causing his body to weaken to such a state. Sebastian hadn't even listened to his pet's words; he had been too mesmerized by what was in front of them. Ciel had stopped scolding his master to see what had caught the older male's attention.

Before they knew it, Sebastian had Ciel calling his name as he balanced him on top of the bathroom sink and made love to him for the third time in one night. Ciel's back had been pressed against the cool mirror, and his head would occasionally slam into it when a particularly sharp jolt of pleasure shot through his system. During the middle of their passionate joining, Sebastian had taken Ciel off of the sink and told him to brace himself against it. Ciel, mind taken over by lust, had blindly followed the man's order. He had looked over his shoulder and wiggled his ass a little, purposely tempting his demonic lord. Before the boy could even blink, he had been shrieking in delight with the side of his face pressed firmly against the glass. Occasionally, Sebastian would pull the boy away from the mirror and make him look at their reflections as he continued to pound into Ciel's body.

After that impromptu lovemaking, both Sebastian and Ciel had been tuckered out. Sebastian's goal had been accomplished; Ciel was too tired to resist sleeping in the same bed as his master. The boy had said something along the lines of it not being worth walking through the whole manor to find an unoccupied bed. Sebastian had smugly smiled at the boy's words and led the boy back to the room.

The final time they had made love was completely Ciel's doing (or so Sebastian claimed). Ciel had suddenly clutched onto the older man when he felt his legs give out. The demon had been shocked by Ciel's movement, but he had shaken it off and carried the child back to the bed. Sebastian had laid Ciel down and tucked him under the covers before moving to the other side of the bed and climbing under the covers. The boy had stiffened noticeably when Sebastian had spooned him; but instead of punching him out of the bed, Ciel had turned over and snuggled into the other man, shocking the living daylights out of the demon. The pale man's mind had been thoroughly blown when Ciel had released a soft moan. Apparently, Ciel had been trying to get warm because his room was cold and had released the moan because he was comfortable, but Sebastian hadn't known that at the time. And so, Ciel had found himself moaning for a completely different reason as Sebastian made love to him for the final time in the place where their lovemaking sessions had begun. Ciel had instantly fallen to sleep right after he had experienced his final orgasm for the night, not even giving Sebastian the chance to think about going at it **again**.

Sebastian chuckled at the memory of seeing Ciel's cum run clear as their "activities" continued during the night. His demonic lust was definitely sated, that was for sure. The immortal's smirk morphed into a soft smile as his eyes continued to drink in the sight of a sleeping Ciel. He reached out an ungloved hand and gently ran it through the child's slightly damp strands of hair. Ciel's face twitched at the soft touch before it relaxed again.

"You are irresistible, Ciel…" Sebastian whispered as his hand migrated from the boy's hair to his smooth cheek. He gently ran his thumb against the warm skin; it amused Sebastian to think that only a few hours ago, Ciel's cheeks had been burning from his sweet words and gestures. A serious expression formed on the demon's face as his fingers brushed over the boy's slightly swollen lips. He tilted his head to the side as he studied the contours of Ciel's face. His eyes roamed over the expanse of Ciel's body, watching as the boy's side steadily rose and fell. It was hard for Sebastian to wrap his mind around the fact that a few months ago the boy had been lying on his doorstep, nearly damaged beyond repair. Sebastian's crimson eyes looked at the crown of the child's head before his hand came to rest on the boy's forehead.

"Mmm…S-Sebastian…" Ciel breathed out, causing Sebastian to freeze. The boy's face looked slightly troubled, peaking Sebastian's interest. His ears perked up when he saw the boy's trembling lips mouth softly spoken words.

"Please…d-d-don't leave…me…" Ciel trailed off as his face took on a frightened look. Sebastian couldn't help but smirk at the boy's facial expression.

_Ciel would be ashamed if he saw how needy he looked at this moment. I, however, find that when he makes faces like this, he is even more adorable than he already is…_

Sebastian softly smiled at the child before brushing Ciel's bangs from his forehead and placing a chaste kiss on his forehead. The demon rested his lips against the area and whispered softly, "I will never leave you, Ciel…remember that." It seemed as if Sebastian's words had reached Ciel's subconscious because his face fell back into its previous state of calm and serenity.

Sebastian pulled away from the boy's forehead and wrapped his arms around Ciel's body. He pressed Ciel closer to him and held his peacefully sleeping servant in his arms. A thought crossed his mind, and Sebastian couldn't resist stating it out loud.

"Now, if only you would remember me…Ciel…"

**XXX**

Ciel was slowly awakened from consciousness with feelings of comfort and safety.

He was instantly suspicious.

Ciel cracked open one eye to scan his surroundings. Even though the room was empty, Ciel's suspicions were not put to rest.

_Where is he?_

Ciel rolled over, faking he was still asleep, and peeked his eye open again. He was greeted by the sight of his bedroom door. Puzzled, the butler decided to go back to sleep; he was still exhausted from last night's events anyway. Slowly, he felt himself slip back into unconsciousness.

"It is time to wake up…unless you are having some…difficulties," a voice dripping with amusement and seduction breathed into Ciel's ear. Ciel decided to ignore his demon master and opted to fake he was asleep. Groaning sleepily, Ciel burrowed himself further under the sheets. Sebastian smirked at his pet's disobedience. The raven-haired immortal moved away from the boy's bed and opened the curtains to his room. Light from the morning sun instantly filled the room, causing Ciel's irritation at all things demon to increase drastically.

Sebastian, feeling the child's irritation, smirked with triumph. He strode back over to the bed and pressed himself against Ciel's form. The dark-haired butler instantly stiffened at the other male's close proximity.

"Perhaps I was too rough last night…" he murmured huskily before lightly nipping at Ciel's ear.

Ciel instantly bolted up from his position, clapping a hand over his ear and glaring at his bedding partner from last night.

"D-Don't do that!" Ciel squeaked before wincing from his sore throat. He should've known that screaming so loudly last night would have negative consequences. Sebastian tilted his head to the side as he did his best imitation of an innocent face.

"So you were awake," Sebastian stated. Ciel released an irritated sigh and crossed his arms over his chest. Ciel blinked when he felt skin instead of the soft material of his nightshirt. The dark-haired child looked down and blushed at the sight of his naked body. Sebastian resisted the urge to laugh when Ciel frenziedly attempted to cover his nakedness with the sheets. Ciel's heart thudded as his eyes flitted nervously around the room; he was purposely avoiding eye contact with his master.

[_I can't believe I acted like that last night…I will never be able to live this down. He will always refer back to last night if I deny that...I…enjoy…spending time with him in that way._]

Sebastian cocked his head to the side at his pet's behavior. "I am a tad confused as to why you are acting like this. It's not as if I haven't seen you naked before," Sebastian commented thoughtfully. Ciel's face flared even redder at the older male's words. In an attempt to change the conversation, Ciel pulled the covers up to his chin and looked out the window.

"What time is it?" he asked monotonously.

"1:30 in the afternoon," Sebastian responded in the same tone. Ciel's eyes widened to comic proportions.

"WHAT? Why didn't you tell me?" Ciel exclaimed. Ciel moved to kick back the covers, but a sharp bolt of pain originating from his lower back stopped him cold. Gasping loudly, Ciel fell back onto the bed, causing Sebastian's eyebrow to raise in question.

"You would think by now that your body would be used to such strenuous activity…" Sebastian finished with a smirk. Ciel bit his lip in thought before narrowing his eyes at the immortal.

"We haven't had sex in weeks," a light blush dusted the bridge of Ciel's nose before the boy looked away, "and you weren't very gentle either…" he mumbled with embarrassment. Sebastian's eyes softened before he moved to sit beside Ciel on the bed. He gave Ciel a sweet kiss, making the boy's heart beat at a dangerous speed, before pulling away with a smirk.

"My apologies, my pet. I must have missed you more than I thought," Sebastian said seriously. Ciel huffed before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Regardless, you should know how to control yourself…thanks to you, I'm WAY behind schedule for today," Ciel complained before very slowly moving from his position on the bed. With a determined grimace, Ciel managed to move entirely off of the bed. Sebastian watched with slight interest as his butler limped over to the dresser, grabbing onto random furniture to help him get to his destination. Ciel had never felt such pain before; then again, he had never had sex with Sebastian four times in one night after denying the older male for such a long period of time either.

"Why don't you just take the day off? It seems to me that you have worked hard enough already," Sebastian finished with amusement. Ciel gave the man his best death glare before pulling out his uniform.

"Please refrain of speaking of such things that should only be discussed behind closed doors, my lord. You will end up falling into the habit of speaking so scandalously in public," Ciel responded curtly. Ciel took a shaky step forward, but he had to stop mid-step because of a particularly sharp shock of pain that traveled throughout his body.

"Ciel…you can barely walk from the dresser back to the bed. You will be virtually useless today. Please, just rest in bed for the rest of the day and allow for me to take care of you," Sebastian finished with a husky tone, causing Ciel to shiver. Ciel forced himself to remain emotionless as he hobbled over to the bed. The butler snapped the pieces of his clothes open, one by one, and laid them out on the bed. He smoothed out any offending wrinkles and focused entirely on making his uniform look as orderly as possible.

[_I thought I would be over these feelings of awkwardness and embarrassment by now. We have had sex multiple times and have done other sexual things so many times that I've lost track. And yet, I can't look Sebastian in the eye, and I'm having trouble remembering what I was supposed to do today. Why is it that even after all of this time, I still feel like I did the morning after my first time? Even though we made love so many times last night, which is supposed to be completely different than just having sexual relations, it still feels like nothing has changed between us…_]

"I cannot do that, Master. I have too many tasks to complete, and the manor will fall into complete disarray if I do not fulfill my duties for the day. I will be fine," Ciel responded. Sebastian frowned at the boy's stubbornness, but decided to just let his butler do whatever he wanted for once. The demon sighed before removing himself from the bed and making his way to the door.

"Very well then; I expect my tea to be served within the next hour. I will be in my study," Sebastian ordered. Ciel bowed at the waist to his master and moved to straighten himself out. Out of the blue (even though the child should've been expecting this by now), a crippling bolt of pain raced through his system, causing Ciel's knees to buckle. Sebastian's demonic senses kicked in, and he caught his butler before he crumpled to the floor. The raven-haired man held the pain-wracked boy bridal-style in his arms. Ciel gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut as shockwaves of pain shot through his system. Sebastian sighed at the weakness of the human body.

"You see? It is clear to me that you will not be able to do anything today," Sebastian pointed out. Ciel swallowed before glaring up at the other man.

"It is your fault that I am in such a state!" Ciel retorted, eyes flashing with anger. Sebastian smirked™ before setting Ciel back onto the bed.

"You weren't complaining about me putting you into such a state last night," the demon commented slyly, causing Ciel's cheeks to redden. Ciel opened his mouth to protest when the older man tucked him under the sheets, but Sebastian cut him off. "In order to properly apologize for causing your body to feel like this, I shall take care of you for the rest of the day," Sebastian said with a smile. Ciel blinked before adjusting the covers so more of his body was covered.

"But you have your own work to do," Ciel said quietly, trying to save his voice. A thought popped into his head, causing him to growl. "Don't try to use my physical condition as an excuse for not working today." Sebastian smiled angelically, causing Ciel's suspicions for the man's intentions to heighten.

"Of course not…I had a feeling this would happen today, so I completed my work while you were sleeping last night. I can focus all of my attention on you," Sebastian stated cheerfully. Ciel frowned as Sebastian's smile didn't waver. The last time Sebastian had taken care of him, he **had** gotten better, but he also had to be on constant alert to make sure the older man didn't do anything sneaky to try and molest him.

_Then again, I rarely get days off…_

Ciel sighed in resignation before looking at the demon. "Fine…I will allow for you to take care of me. But there isn't much you can do…I just need to rest," Ciel pointed out. Sebastian nodded and sat down on the side of the bed. He looked down at Ciel and waited patiently for the child to go back to sleep. Minutes passed between the two as they continued to stare at each other blankly. Ciel, annoyed by the other man's gaze, growled.

"I'm not tired right now! And you staring at me is not going to make it easier for me to fall asleep," Ciel stated irritably. The demon blinked at the boy's statement before a thought popped into his head.

"Do I make you uncomfortable, my pet?" Sebastian asked slowly, trying his best to keep his amusement out of his voice. Ciel quickly shook his head and fought the urge to blush.

"I'm just not tired!" Ciel retorted, his voice cracking on the last word. Sebastian chuckled at how easily his pet fell into his trap. Ciel blinked in slight confusion when the immortal crawled onto the bed and perched himself over the butler's body.

"Master…what are you doing?" Ciel asked suspiciously, slightly squirming underneath the demon's piercing gaze. Sebastian smirked before snapping his fingers; the curtains instantly shut, enveloping the room in darkness.

"I am going to help you fall asleep…" Sebastian said with a velvety tone of voice. Ciel's eyes widened when the demon leaned down and kissed him before moving to kiss down the column of his neck.

"E-Eh? No, master! St-Stop…nnn, it!" Ciel gasped out. Sebastian merely smirked before leaning up to nip at one of Ciel's ears. The child began to push against the horny elder, berating him with threats and excuses.

"I-It's the middle…ah! It's the middle of the d-d-day! H-H-How am…yaahah! How am I-I-I supposed to g-g-g-get better if, oh! If we d-do this?" Ciel questioned in exasperation. Sebastian paused in his ministrations to analyze his flustered pet.

"Well, since it is impossible to become tired just by laying in bed, I figured I could tire you out first, and **then** I would allow for your body to heal," Sebastian explained before he rolled down the covers to reveal more of Ciel's body. Ciel growled and alternated between giving harmless slaps to Sebastian's face and attempting to pull the sheets back up.

"Y-Y-You bastard! You, ahn, had this p-p-planned out!" Ciel accused. Sebastian didn't say anything to negate Ciel's conclusion. He merely continued to lick and lave the boy's neck and chest area, slowly causing Ciel to sink back into lust-filled bliss.

"N-N-Noooooo, m-master! D-D-Don't…mmm, touch m-oh! D-Do that a-a-again!" Ciel suddenly cried out. Sebastian smirked when he saw Ciel's horrified facial expression.

"What was that, Ciel?" he asked smugly before continuing with his earlier motions.

"A-A-Ah…M-Maaaaaster!"

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(1): **Teehee, I know you guys are expecting me to translate what Sebastian said, but I won't! You see, the language that Sebastian spoke in is a little hint into his past life as a human. Happy hunting readers. ;)**

(2): **Okay, so it IS possible to stimulate one's prostate (if you are a male of course xD) by rubbing between the anus and the testicles. I do not remember where exactly I read this, but it is an anatomical fact (at least I think it is). Hence, why Ciel felt as if his prostate was being touched on both the inside and the outside of his body. You can just imagine how pleasurable that must've felt. ;D**

(3): **During the Victorian Era, men and women did not sleep in the same bed, regardless of their marital status. The only time people would share a bed (unless it was a young child and his/her mother...) was for consumation (reproductive) purposes. Once that "deed" was done, it was proper for the two people to go back to their separate beds (or one stayed in the bed and the other one left). That's why Ciel would leave (besides not wanting to stay after doing such a dirty thing...) after he and Sebastian had sex.**

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**J-C: Did I kill off all of my readers yet? *snickers evilly***

******Naruto: *died of a nosebleed***

**********~Sasuke~ That wasn't so bad...**

J-C: In what way?

~Sasuke~ It sucked, J-C. Totally not worth the wait... *walks out of the room*

J-C: SERIOUSLY? *freaks out* Oh my goodness, I don't know what to think, readers! What do you guys think? Was this lemon terrible? Did it pale in comparison to the other one? Should I go into a corner and hide myself away from the outside world because of my shame? Or was it actually...good? The only way I'm gonna know (and improve if I did badly) is if you guys review! You all have been doing an amazing job at that! ^0^ Your guys' dedication to this story amazes me, and I'm truly honored that so many of you love my story so much! Seriously, it is because of that dedication that I put a lot of time and effort into making this chapter as perfect as possible! Well, I'm gonna log off now because I still have some homework due tomorrow (grrrr...), so I just wanted to say thank you (for the readers who survived xD) for reading the 17th chapter of my story! Hopefully, I will see you sooner rather than later! ^-^

Ja ne for now!

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P.S. **Dear readers who referred down to this P.S...**

**I am sad to report that someone on this site stole, word for word, the 10th chapter of One Hell of a Master. As you can imagine, this was very angering and saddening news; I would have never known that this theft of my story had occurred if not for one of my dedicated readers, CookieDoodles. She was kind enough to send me a PM, informing me of the thief who stole my story.**

**Who is this thief, you are probably wondering?**

**Her "penname" (even though I do not consider her a writer) is Azumi Gaiden.**

**I will not provide a link to her page on my profile because I do not want to defile my profile page with such a morally dirty person. Now, many of you know that I am a kind person, and I am very open to ideas, suggestions, and other things.**

**I am NOT okay with having something that I've worked very hard on being stolen. I also do not like being lied to. This person had the AUDACITY to send me a PM asking me if it was OKAY to copy my chapter, but slightly change the wording and make Ciel an OC instead. She then went so far as to ask me, if I wasn't okay with it, to post the story on MY profile page and give HER credit for its creation.**

**You can only imagine the immense amount of anger I felt at this.**

**Not only that, she didn't even ASK me! She was actually informing me, telling me that she had already done this deed and that it would be posted in 6 to 8 hours on this site. I, of course, confronted her, and she had the nerve to actually LIE to me and say that she had not posted the story yet.**

**CLEARLY, she had to have posted the story, or else CookieDoodles wouldn't have been able to find it, flame her (THANK YOU! ^-^), and inform me about its presence on this site. Not only that, she went so far as to actually INSULT me as a person and the overall premise of my story.**

**If you wish to see her response to mine, then just ask me in the review I hope you guys leave to send it to you in a PM.**

**Now, I am not asking for anyone to flame her, but I have never been so angry in my life! She actually made me stop for a moment and seriously contemplate whether I should post on this site anymore...the only reason I am continuing is because my love for my readers overrode my anger at her but...**

**HERE IS MY WARNING: DO NOT STEAL, COPY, OR CHANGE ANY COMPONENTS OF MY STORY UNLESS I SPECIFICALLY GIVE MY PERMISSION! IF YOU DO SO, I WILL CONFRONT YOU, INFORM MY READERS, AND ALLOW FOR THEM TO TAKE WHATEVER ACTION THEY SEE FIT.**

**I now wipe my hands clean of this matter. I just felt you guys should know about such a major happening in my life...**

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P.S.S. **This extra note is much happier, I promise!**

**My awesome friend, theRahma, went so far as to write an AWESOME one-shot, just for my birthday! It was one of the greatest presents I have EVER received, and I love her so much for working so hard on it just for me. I would REALLY appreciate it if you guys visted my profile page, clicked on the link to her story for my birthday, read it, and left her a review. It is beautifully written, and it deserves tons of reviews! She really is an amazing writer, so please support her! It would make my birthday even better if you guys did so! Thank you for reading this extra-extra note! ^-^**

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**Anonymous Reviewer Responses:**

missjasmin: **Awesome yo! I'm really glad to hear that you liked this chapter too! ^0^ Teehee, I couldn't resist adding some Jealous!Sebastian in here. It's pure gold, I tell you. xD Thanks so much for the review! I will update when I can! ^0^**

sakura: **Thanks so much! It makes me uber happy to hear that you liked this chapter too! ^-^ Oooh, all of those guesses are pretty good...teehee, but you shall just have to see if your guesses are right in the next arc. Look forward to it! ^0^ Hmmm, as for the ending of Kuroshitsuji...I'm just 'meh' about it...I mean, I personally feel it was rushed (especially the fight between Claude and Sebastian...they should've dedicated a whole EPISODE to that fight). And I don't like the whole 'one character wins it all' thing either. Ciel WON and Sebastian got NOTHING. That's pretty screwed up considering that the main character is SEBASTIAN. But yeah, considering how the whole season was, I kinda expected this sort of ending. But yeah, a 3rd season would be pretty epic. I would LOVE to see Sebastian and Ciel regain their relationship (even though Ciel has ALL the power). It would be interesting to see if Sebastian could find a way to turn Ciel back into a human. Lolz, but back to the general review. Thanks so much for reviewing again and for sharing your thoughts about the 2nd season's ending with me! I will update ASAP! ^-^**

fareleen: **Hi hi fareleen! Long time no see (which I totally blame myself for -_-)! *gasps* I would love to have a review for every chapter from you! I value EVERYONE'S reviews equally! But it's cool that you are reviewing this chapter! ^-^ I'm really happy to hear that you liked this chapter as much as the 14th! Makes it seem like I'm making steady progress as the story continues. Thanks for the cheer! Yeah, I REALLY wanted to update at a faster rate, but school is so freakin' EVIL! I'm REALLY sorry for the long wait; I hope the 17th chapter is worth the wait. ^-^' Lolz, I don't mind an uber long review; a review is lovely to me, whether it be large or small. ^0^ Thanks for the well wishes, and I will update as soon as I am able! Thanks for your review too! ^0^**

hitmoi-chanchan: **Awwww! It makes me really happy to hear that you like my story so much! I will do my best to update as soon as I have the time! Thanks for your support/review! ^-^**

smexyness: **Heeeeeeey! xD Yay! I'm glad you liked this chapter so much! ^-^ *backs away slowly* Druitt, you better run...NOW! Lolz, you gotta love the guy's terrible sense of timing...only Sebby knows when the right time is to jump in and do something. ;) Oh yeah, Ciel is gonna have to watch his back even MORE now...teehee, we shall just have to see if your guess is correct in the next arc, so I hope you stick with me and the story through that! ^-^ *laughs nervously* Well, it took awhile, but I DID eventually find time to update. xD Thanks so much for your review! ^-^**

Zozo-Chan: **Aw, it's kk! The fact that you reviewed this chapter makes me happy! ^-^ I'm happy to hear that you liked this chapter just as much as the last ones! Thanks for reviewing, and I will update whenever I find the time! ^-^**

WHOATEMYTACO: **Sure! You know what they say: the more the merrier! xD Lolz, omg! That mental image of Sebastian saying that has me LMAO! xD I'm really happy to hear that you got some good laughs out of this chapter and that you enjoyed it overall. I hope you had a great school day, and I wish you luck in life, etc! Thanks so much for the review; it means a lot to me! ^0^**

Kags21: **Yay, I'm glad to hear you liked the latest chapter! Hmmm, you shall just have to read the next chapter to find out. ;) Thanks for the review! ^0^**

LittleCopperRidingHood15: **You know, I think you are part of the minority that actually LIKED the ending. To me, it was okay (could've been better, but I'm satisfied with it, I guess...). *bows humbly* Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked the dancing scene; I worked really hard on that part. It was kinda the main focus of the chapter anyway. ^-^ Teehee, canon jealousy FTW! I couldn't resist having Sebastian do something so blatantly jealous. :P OH...MY...GOD. YOU ARE SO LUCKY! *sniffles* I wish I could've gone...but I bet that plushie is super cute! *secretly plans to steal it* Jk, I will probably attend next year with my buddies. Of course, we will be cosplaying Kuroshitsuji, so if you go again, see if you can find us (we'll be the idiots who talk WAY too loud and do tons of fanservice ;D)! And yes, I do have the link, but the thing is that you have to be a member to see the picture...I can try to post it on my profile if you are still interested. Thanks so much for another awesome review! ^0^**

melianstorm: **Yaaaay, YOU'RE ALIVE! *celebrates by doing a very happy dance* ^0^ Awwww, you had the flu? I'm really glad you are feeling well enough to post a review; I hope you've made a full recovery by the time you read this review! Lolz, I like how you identified Sebastian's and Ciel's feelings towards the party. It made for a good laugh! xD Lmao, gotta love Sly for that! It's just something I can imagine him doing (plus, wouldn't it be kinda funny if there really WAS a stupid reason for why 1/3 of the population was killed?)...but yeah, I'm sure the people who died aren't very happy with him. ^-^' Ahaha, that's probably Sebastian's thought process when Ciel was sniffing the wine. Good thing he stepped in at the right time (noticing a pattern here? ;D)! Thank you very much! I'm glad that you liked the dancing scene so much; and yeah, that's how I figured dancing is supposed to be. SHUT UP SOCIETY, NO ONE LIKES YOU! D8 Lolz, sorry about that random spazz moment. *sighs sadly* Yes, the Viscount ruined a perfectly wonderful scene (as ALWAYS)...gotta love the blonde idiot for somehow NOT being killed off by hoardes of fangirls. xD Hmmm, you make a very good point there (and I'm glad you liked my adaptation of this whole scene as well ^-^). I know I would check to make sure everything was correct, but then again, I'm a perfectionist and the Viscount is an idiot. xD Teehee, I'm sure Ciel will eventually give up trying to hide his naked body from Sebby...he gets to see it every night for 2 hours anyway. ;) I totally agree with you! DIE VISCOUNT DIE! 8D Lolz, nice Pokemon reference! You shall just have to wait and see as the new arc progresses, so look forward to that! ^-^ Thanks for the well wishes and for this awesome review. I'm just happy that you took time out of your day (even though you were sick) to leave such a kind review! It means a lot to me, I swear! ^-^**

Ana: **I know...poor Sebastian can never catch a break in this arc. *shakes head sadly* But hey, we shall just have to see if your prediction is correct! ^-^ Ciel is such a cutie-pie (total pedobait, I swear! xD)! Lolz, it's pretty kool that you anticipated that Sebastian could read Ciel's thoughts. Anyhoo, I will update as soon as I find the time! Thanks so much for reviewing! ^-^**

lilly: **I totally agree with you...I swear, school was designed as a way to kill off the weaker people in society (wow, that's a pretty evil thought now that I think about it O.o)...but I'm glad that you managed to find the time to both read and review the latest chapter of my story! ^-^ *smiles* It makes me happy to hear that my story is still able to hold your attention; as long as I can do that, then I will continue to write! ^-^ You shall find out PLENTY about that character in the arc to come, so look forward to that! ^-^ Thanks for the well-wishes on my next chapter and for reviewing! Both are much appreciated! ^0^**

Carrie: **Thanks so much! I'm really glad to hear that you like my overall plot idea and that you think I've kept the characters IC so far! ^0^ Teehee, it's kool, yo. I'm still a little uncomfortable writing smut, so it doesn't insult me that you don't like/read it. I'm just glad that you're willing to overlook that in favor of the story as a whole. ^-^ I will DEFINITELY keep going! ^0^ School has MAJORLY hindered my updating abilities, but I shall do my best to update at a faster rate, so look forward to that! Thanks so much for this review! ^-^**

Ciel: **Lolz, I don't mind how you review, just as long as you do so! So, thanks so much for reviewing at all! ^0^ I'm glad that I was able to somehow make the role-reversal idea work for you! Honestly, I feel that this is how Kuroshitsuji should've been written, but hey, Yana still has a pretty kick-ass manga, so who am I to complain? Hmmm, I see your point. I really do suck at explaining things, and I felt that if I went into too much detail that I would actually cause more confusion...sorry about that though. I will make sure to better explain things in the future. ^-^ I totally don't mind your ideas; in fact, I LIKE hearing them from my readers. Please, feel free to offer constructive criticism anytime. ^-^ I'm glad you like my revision of the whole Jack the Ripper Arc, and the Hunters thing will be better explained as the story progresses (actually, I believe Chapter 18 will have a more in-depth analysis). Awww, I'm sorry (actually, I'm usually the one who is bullied, but it's by my lovely buddies, so it's not really bullying... xD)! *grabs for tissues* It makes me happy that I was able to make you feel such strong emotions while you read Chapter 13 though. I'm trying to become better at describing things, so it's a relief to hear that I'm on the right track! ^-^ Teehee, well this is CIEL PHANTOMHIVE we are talking about; if he couldn't get up from such a push, there would be a problem, that's for sure! xD *wipes brow* I'm glad to hear that I was able to get all the conventions spot on (for a change). The worst thing would be if you weren't able to understand my story at all. It's totally cool; I'm just glad that you're making steady progress through my story! ^0^ I am not at all upset; in fact, I'm ecstatic that you took the time to leave such a detailed and long review! ^-^ Awwww, you're too kind *huggles*. I'm glad that you feel that way about my story as a whole! *smirks* Oh yeah, expect more nosebleeds in the future. ;) Thanks so much for this heartfelt and constructive review! ^-^**

Anonymous: **Ooooh, I really likey that bribe! *receives a death glare from Ciel* Awwww man... *gives naked Sebastian to Ciel* xD But anyhoo, I'm REALLY REALLY REALLY sorry that I haven't updated in such a long amount of time! T_T School has been really stressful for me this year (I had to keep my grades up or else I wouldn't be allowed to write AT ALL O.o)...I really hope that Chapter 17 is worth the long wait. Thanks for reviewing, and once again, I apologize for the extra long wait.**

Carrie2sky: **Of course not! Your encouragement in the form of a review is much appreciated! Thanks so much for leaving one and for encouraging me to continue as well! ^-^**

SenS0riiScr33n3r: **Thanks so much! I'm glad you like the overall plot idea and that I've managed to keep Sebastian and Ciel IC. ^-^ Yeah, I personally feel that Sebby needs to show more emotion in the anime/manga. It gives a character more depth when they actually feel and react to things. xD Thanks so much for your review and for liking my story! ^0^**

xxxxwitlee: **Oh heck to the no! Of course I'm not abandoning this story! *horrified at the thought* School has just been psycho-insane lately, so I haven't had nearly as much time to update as I used to. Awwww, that's so sweet! You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that you like my story THAT much (I really hope Yana doesn't read this...I might get sued soon xD)! You don't have to do all that for me...just your dedication and reviews are enough to keep me going. I will try to update as soon as I can; I'm sorry if I'm making you and any other readers feel abandoned...thank you for your kind and heartfelt review, and I'm sorry again for the long wait!**

Kuroshitsuji3: **Oh dear, we can't have that! I will update ASAP (seriously, I will update as soon as I can!)! Thanks for sharing that thought in the form of a review! ^-^**

addicted to your storyupdate: **Oh...my...god. I don't think I've EVER seen that many pleases in my life! *grabs for tissues* I'M REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT! Seriously, I REALLY didn't want to keep you and my other readers waiting for such a long amount of time, but school is VERY important to my family and I, and if I had failed anything then I wouldn't have been able to write on this site EVER again. Once again, I'm really sorry, and I hope you can forgive me for the long wait...**

Anonymous: **OMG, seriously? Thanks so much for saying that! I'm truly honored that you feel so strongly about my story! *gasps* I would NEVER abandon this story! I love it too much; seriously, whenever I'm not think about school, my friends, or something random, this story is on my mind. It has literally become a part of me, I swear. And no, it's because school has been insane and I haven't had NEARLY enough time to produce a quality chapter. Hopefully, the long wait is worth it whenever you get the chance to read Chapter 17. ^-^ And trust me, EVERYONE'S reviews/pleas make a difference. They ALL encourage me to keep writing because it shows that there are still people out there who truly care for my story. Whoopsies...sorry that I've made it 2+ months since I've updated...thanks for reviewing again to get me up and typing out the next chapter! Seriously, I really appreciate your dedication to my story! ^-^**

Ghost: **Because school is a b****...seriously though, life and school have taken up a lot of my free time. I apologize for the long wait, and I hope that the 17th chapter is worth the wait! Thank you for reviewing! ^-^**

OH SHIT: ***pauses...falls out of chair because of laughing so hard* HOLY JIZZNIT! THIS IS TOO EFFIN FUNNY FOR WORDS! OMG! This is pure gold right here *laughs even harder*. This, my lovely readers, is an exact reference of what chels15 wrote on Facebook after watching an episode of Dexter. OMG, I laugh so hard every time I hear/see this! Thanks so much to whoever posted this review, even though I know exactly who it was. ;)**


	18. The Devil

**J-C: Okay, so I'm sure many of you are wondering why the heck you are receiving an alert in your inbox telling you that a new chapter has been posted for One Hell of a Master...**

**~Sasuke~ I'm sure no one cares...**

**Naruto: Can you at least TRY to be nice for once, Sasuke?**

**~Sasuke~ No.**

**J-C: Eh, he's your boyfriend... xD**

**Naruto: *smiles* And I still love him! *hugs a grumbling Sasuke***

**J-C: Ahem, anyway, for those of you who do care about why this story is being updated, it's because... I'M FINALLY ON WINTER BREAK! *throws a confetti/snow mixture into the air* THAT MEANS NO MORE SCHOOL, HOMEWORK, GRADES, TESTS, QUIZZES, OR STUDYING! ^0^**

**~Sasuke~ For three weeks...**

**J-C: *sighs* Yeah, but still...since I have WAY more free time than I do while school is in session, I've decided to update One Hell of a Master every week instead of every 2 weeks! *cheers***

**Naruto: *blinks with confusion* I thought it was because today was special too...**

**J-C: *snaps fingers* You're right, Naruto! Everyone, the story that all of you have accepted into your lives and hearts has reached a VERY important milestone. Today, December 17th, 2010, marks the one-year anniversary of this story's publication! ^0^ That's right, everybody! One year ago, on this very day, I hesitantly uploaded the first chapter on a mere fangirlish whim. What a year it has been! I've received over 800 reviews (70+ coming from the latest chapter, which I profusely thank all of my reviewers for! ^0^), have made amazing online buddies, received no flames, told my close friends that I like and write about yaoi (which they all graciously accepted...and I've made SebaCiel fangirls out of them all (and made one of them NOT a homophobe! ^0^)), watched Kuroshitsuji II faithfully until the very end, fell more in love with the Kuroshitsuji manga series as a whole, went from 15-81 subscribers on youtube (once again, thanks you guys!), have become known as THE best Kuroshitsuji fanfic writer (which I'm still personally debating with myself ^-^'), had my first lemon stolen by a thief (for an update, refer to the P.S. after the ending A/N.), and got an awesome editor! ^0^**

**Naruto: Wow, that's amazing, J-C! *nudges Sasuke***

**~Sasuke~ G-G-Good job... *cringes***

**J-C: Thanks, you guys! But none of those amazing things would've happened (except for the whole Kuroshitsuji manga and second season thing xD) if it wasn't for my amazing readers who gave me the confidence to continue with this story. What started out as a simple question stemming from a dream turned into a M-rated fanfic that has become popular beyond my wildest dreams. Sincerely, thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for helping to make my story so loved and popular. ^-^**

**~Sasuke~ Okay, now that the sap-fest is over...how about you get to the 18th chapter that you were so excited about?**

**J-C: Alrighty then! Now, to focus on the present: We are on the third arc of this story! ^0^ That means once this arc is over, One Hell of a Master is halfway done! ^-^ For those who want this story to continue forever, this arc is definitely the longest one, so be prepared for your minds to be blown. But before we start off the third arc, we must revisit our old buddies, Disclaimer and Warnings!**

**Disclaimer: Even though One Hell of a Master is now one year's old, I still have not managed to take ownership of Kuroshitsuji from Yana Toboso...so nope, I don't own Kuroshitsuji! I just own the fic that has become such a major part of my life! ^-^**

**Warnings: Hmmm, this chapter is quite bipolar, so there's a plethora of warnings this time... Violence, gore (it's back everybody! Not in its entirety, but still, it's in here), language, sexual situations/themes, LEMON (that's right! More smex! And this time, it's kinky too! ;D), and SHOTACON (don't like, DON'T READ!).**

**Dedicated to: theRahma (this was the first chapter she EVER edited for me, so I am extremely grateful for her hard work! ^-^), and ALL of my readers (without you guys, this story wouldn't have been possible)!**

**J-C: Now, even though this story has been online for one year (still trying to wrap my mind around that), I still don't want anyone to be confused. Sooooo, thoughts look like this (**_Thanks for helping me reach a milestone, everyone!_**), conversational thoughts look like this (**'_Can you believe I've been spamming the Kuroshitsuji archive for one whole year?_'**), private thoughts look like this (**[_Looks like I'm not going anywhere anytime soon!_]**), regular dialogue and stuff looks like this (**I can't believe I've survived this long without a flame!**), emphasized words look like this (Holy jizznit!) or like this (_Unbelievable!_), sound FX look like this (POW!), and scene/time changes look like this (XXX)! Okay, so now, I am proud to present the beginning of the third arc of One Hell of a Master on it's first birthday! Happy reading, everyone! ^0^**

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**Chapter 18: The Devil**

**2 Months Later**

Ciel sighed in exhaustion as he walked through the corridors of his master's manor. Today had been particularly tiring for the young Phantomhive. Because winter was fast approaching, Ciel now had to make sure that every room had the proper amount of coke in the fireplace to ensure that there was heat at all times (1). In order to do this, each room that contained a fireplace had to be checked every few hours to make sure that a fire was still going. If not, Ciel had to replace the coke in the fireplace and start a brand new one.

It was **not** a welcome addition to his list of chores.

Not only was the process time-consuming, it was dirty. Oftentimes, Ciel would have to remove parts of his uniform and cover up splotches of coke powder just to keep his appearance in order. Not only that, the dust from the coke would often get into his nose and eyes, making it difficult for the young butler to see and breathe.

Yes, changing the coke in the fireplaces was quickly becoming one of Ciel's **least** favorite things to do. But as the Michaelis butler, it was his job to make sure that the manor was always in the best condition.

Ciel paused when he felt an insistent tickle in his nose. Milliseconds later, he released a flurry of sneezes that had him cursing the idiot who decided butlers should have the responsibility of performing such a task.

_I just have one more room to do…then I can get back to dusting off items in the library. Although I'll still be working, at least I won't have to go near a fireplace for a few hours…_

Determination shining in his eyes, Ciel wiped the area under his nose and quickly walked towards his master's study. When he arrived outside the double doors, he placed the bucket of coke on the floor and knocked politely to announce his presence.

"Excuse me, my lord," Ciel said formally before opening the door. The sight that met his young eyes caused the boy to freeze for a moment.

His master's study was completely destroyed.

Previously stacked work papers on the desk were strewn all around the room. The window was wide open, allowing for the cold, late November air to blow into the room. The office chair was overturned as if someone had quickly jumped out of it, and the globe that was often perched on the edge of the large oak desk was shattered on the floor. Ink from a cracked container was quickly staining the large piece of furniture, and the desk itself was resting on its side. But there was one particular detail that stuck out the most to the young Phantomhive.

The fire in the fireplace had gone out.

Ciel clenched his jaw in irritation and roughly picked the bucket of coke up. Muttering angrily about the sheer inconvenience of the whole situation, the child butler set to work on restarting a fire in the fireplace.

Ciel was not at all concerned about his master's safety. The boy had learned in the months he had been working in his master's manor that it was a common thing for Sebastian to be kidnapped. New gangs who were trying to take control of some sort of illegal operation would attempt to "persuade" the Queen's Watchdog to turn his nose in the other direction so that they could continue with their activities.

Of course, all of these gangs were instantly annihilated.

The first time Sebastian had been kidnapped, Ciel was honestly frightened (although he would **never** admit that to **anyone**, including himself). He did not know who his master was kidnapped by, and he didn't know if his master had been injured or possibly killed. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, and he silently panicked as he continued with his daily chores. Eventually, evening rolled around, and Tanaka came out of his disease-induced state. Ciel reported as calmly as he could that Sebastian had been kidnapped. The preteen was shocked speechless when the older butler merely sighed and told the boy not to be late to his lesson. Tanaka saw the shock in the boy's eyes, and the old butler explained that Sebastian's kidnapping was a common occurrence and told Ciel not to worry about his master's safety. Ciel had instantly denied his worry about Sebastian, causing Tanaka to chuckle with mirth.

The old butler was right, of course. Sebastian had arrived back at the manor, completely unharmed without a hair out of place, right after Ciel's lessons with Tanaka had ended. The demon had proceeded to whisk the boy back to his bedroom where they proceeded to fulfill one part of their contract, as if nothing odd had ever happened.

Ciel released a sneeze as a fleck of coke dust made its way into his nose. He moodily glared at the brightly blazing fire in the fireplace before he found himself slowly becoming entranced in the dancing flames. Ciel wasn't sure why, but the sight of fire, ranging from the end of a candle to flames crackling in a fireplace, simultaneously frightened and captivated him. It was almost as if he had a special attachment to the heat-giving source.

Suddenly, a flash of a burning room accompanied with a sharp bolt of pain burst into Ciel's consciousness, causing him to gasp and clutch his head. Just as quickly as the random flash had appeared, it disappeared, leaving only pain behind. Ciel shook slightly as he continued to hold his throbbing head. His heart beat wildly, causing his breaths to come in short, panicked gasps. He gritted his teeth as he tried to control his trembling body.

_What was that? That has never happened when I looked at any fire before…_

Ciel's eyes widened as a thought popped into his head.

_Do I…know that room? Did I just see a fragment of my forgotten memories?_

The thought that he had just seen a piece of his past both intrigued and disturbed the young Phantomhive. The boy had been wondering for some time if he would ever regain his memories or if he would forever live in ignorance about who he used to be. He had made a small promise with himself; if there was no feasible way for him to regain his memory, then he would not continue to fruitlessly search. If, however, there was a possibility, no matter how small, nothing would stop the boy from finding out about his past…

…even if he found a memory that would change his life forever.

A sharp blast of cold air washed over Ciel, snapping the boy out of his tumultuous thoughts. The young butler sighed and took a deep breath in a final attempt to calm himself down. He didn't have time to be speculating about his past; he needed to clean everything up before Sebastian returned. The servant placed the bucket of coke near the side of the fireplace, cracked his knuckles, and set to work.

In a little under an hour, the child butler had Sebastian's study looking as if it had never been disturbed since its creation. Ciel wiped his brow and released a satisfied sigh as he took in the appearance of his master's office. The boy had become quite efficient at cleaning up this room in the house, mainly because it was the most frequently destroyed (besides the kitchen, but Ciel usually made Bard clean that up). Of course, he had to ask for Finny's assistance with moving Sebastian's desk back into its proper position; the gardener had done so ecstatically.

The child butler reached into the pocket of his coat and checked the time. His eyebrow twitched slightly when he saw that he was 30 minutes behind schedule. Ciel growled before shoving the mechanism back into his pocket. With an irritated huff, the child went back to the fireplace and grabbed for the coke bucket before exiting the room. Ciel closed the door and moved to place the bucket in its rightful place.

**BOOM! BOOM!**

Ciel jumped in shock and surprise at the sound of the violent explosions. The floor shook beneath Ciel's feet, causing the child to nearly lose his balance. The butler dropped the bucket and instantly whipped out the hunting gun Sebastian had given him on their first mission together. The disturbance to the Michaelis manor had come from his master's study. Ciel steeled his nerves and turned around to face the room. The doors were still tightly closed, giving off the illusion that nothing had taken place behind them. Ciel's eyes narrowed as he focused completely on the room. He listened intently for the sound of shuffling feet or voices, but he heard nothing. Confused but still on high alert, the preteen moved closer to the doors, careful to hide the sound of his own movements and breathing. Blood pounded in his ears as adrenaline began to course through his body. If this was a supernatural enemy, Ciel wasn't sure if he would be able to defeat it.

He had never fought anything inhuman by himself before.

Slowly, Ciel reached for the doorknob and prepared himself for anything that could be on the other side of the temporary barrier. His heart beat wildly against his ribcage, but his emotions did not show on his face. After mentally counting to three, Ciel threw open the door and aimed the gun at whoever the intruder was.

The only problem with that was there was no intruder to aim at.

Ciel's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the empty, but now destroyed, room. Still not letting his guard down, the child butler cautiously moved further into his master's study. His eyes darted around the room as he tuned his ears to listen for anything suspicious. The only sight that assaulted his vision was the mess the explosions had made, and the only thing he heard was the sound of rustling papers and the whistling of the wind. After the boy was positive nothing was going to jump out and rip his head off of his shoulders, Ciel lowered the gun and placed it back in the folds of his suit jacket.

_What just happened in here? There's no way that another group of kidnappers could have set off those explosions and then escaped so quickly. Even __**if**__ that was possible, where is the evidence of the device they used to do this?_

Ciel was perplexed as he glanced around the room to find the source of all of this destruction. There was no mysterious powder floating in the air, no distinct odor permeating the room, and no scorch marks on any of the walls. The room looked **exactly** like it had before Ciel had cleaned it up a little over an hour ago.

Suspicious, Ciel began to search through the room for any clue as to what had caused such immense damage in Sebastian's study. He dug through piles of paper before going so far as to grab for random pieces of paper that were still fluttering in the air. When no clues could be found, he crawled around on his hands and knees, looking for small pieces of a bomb that he hadn't seen while he was standing near the doorway. When that didn't help him solve the mystery of the explosions, Ciel ran his gloved finger along the overturned desk and other furniture items to try and collect any powder that could've been too small for him to see floating in the air. Besides miniscule amounts of dust, Ciel didn't find any incriminating evidence on his gloved finger.

Butler senses beginning to kick in, Ciel sighed before moving to fix the destroyed room again. It took him a little longer this time because he was on high alert for any intruders who could've been hiding or attempting to get into the manor. He called again for the bubbly gardener, who moved the desk back into its proper position with no suspicions for why he was doing the exact same thing one hour after he had done it the first time. By the time the room was fixed and cleaned for the second time in one day, Ciel was WAY behind schedule.

_That bastard better hurry up and come back already…I have a feeling that he is the one causing these unexplainable explosions…_

Feeling slightly uneasy, Ciel exited the room and gently shut the doors to his master's study. He picked the long-forgotten coke bucket up and walked back to the storage room to place it in its proper place. Ciel stored the coke-filled bucket and walked towards the library to start back on his scheduled list of chores.

_If I cut out my scheduled nap time, I will still be able to serve dinner for Sebastian right on time. I just hope he's here to receive it, even though he probably doesn't eat it…not that I'm worried about him or anything! I just don't want my hard work, and lack of a nap, to go to waste is all!_

Ciel had a private mental argument with himself as he started dusting off items in the library. After some time, he could feel himself start to relax both mentally and physically as the comforting smell of old books and the sound of absolutely nothing besides the feather duster gently soothed his senses.

**BOOM! BOOM!**

Ciel's reaction was nearly instantaneous.

The boy dropped the feather duster and quickly replaced his empty hand with his hunting gun. Nearly stumbling over his own two feet, Ciel sprinted back in the direction of the explosions. As Ciel raced to his master's study, he couldn't help but wonder why none of the other servants were coming to investigate the explosions. Usually, the three and Tanaka would instantly react to any sort of disturbance to the manor. Sebastian's mansion had now been disturbed three times, and Ciel's fellow servants hadn't so much as flinched.

With adrenaline rushing through his veins, Ciel threw open the doors to his master's study and prepared himself for whatever enemy he was sure he was going to face.

Only, there were no enemies to face.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" Ciel yelled, enraged and highly confused. Once again, his master's study was in a state of disarray with absolutely no sign as to the source of how it got this way. Ciel searched high and low for **any** clue about the source of the explosions. When he couldn't find anything again, the boy angrily fixed his master's study for the third time in one day. When Ciel called for Finny and noticed that the gardener wasn't even bothered by performing the same task three times in one day, Ciel's suspicions heightened towards the whole situation.

_Something is going on here that I have not been informed about._

Before Ciel could even ask the gardener if he knew anything about the mysterious explosions, the redhead quickly exited the room, saying that he needed to kill some weeds before the sun went down. The child butler sighed in agitation before he exited the room as well.

**BOOM! BOOM!**

Ciel had barely closed the doors to the demon's study before another series of explosions sounded. Ciel quickly whirled around and opened the doors to find an empty, but destroyed, room.

Ciel **really** wanted to kill something at that moment.

A pattern soon developed as the day wore on: two explosions would sound; Ciel would rush back from whatever task he was completing to try and catch the culprit, the room would be empty, the boy would search for clues about where the explosions had come from, he would find nothing, he would grudgingly fix the room and leave, and another set of explosions would sound soon after.

The cycle was on its fifth time now…

It was approaching early evening, and Ciel was currently on his hands and knees trying to reach for a stray piece of paper that had landed and slid under the couch. If he could just get this last document, he would be finished cleaning and straightening his master's study for the umpteenth time in one day. By this point, the boy had stopped caring about his outward appearance, so he looked about as crappy as he felt at that moment. Ciel growled in frustration as he tried to extend his arm past its human limits.

"Damn it…come on, you stupid piece of sh-"

**BOOM!**

Ciel nearly had a heart attack as a single explosion sounded right behind him. Natural instincts taking over, Ciel instantly ducked and covered his head with his hands. He could feel a surge of otherworldly power crackling through the air, causing his heart and breathing rate to increase drastically. A forceful blast of air accompanied the explosion, causing all of Ciel's hard work to go to waste. Quicker than the boy expected, the explosion and its aftermath ended, but Ciel stayed in his protective position as his body trembled in a mix of adrenaline, fear, and anger.

The sight of a trembling butt raised proudly in the air was the first thing that Sebastian saw as he stepped back into the room. Confused by his pet's behavior but appreciative of the view before him, Sebastian raised an eyebrow before chuckling softly.

"My my, if I knew that such an…appealing sight would greet me, I would've gone through these things more often," Sebastian commented huskily. At the sound of the familiar voice, Ciel instantly uncovered his head and whirled around to face his demon master.

"Sebastian!" Ciel yelled angrily, a light blush forming on his cheeks from the man's earlier statement. Sebastian gave the butler a pointed look at addressing him so familiarly, but he decided to let the boy off the hook for now.

"Yes?" he asked, feigning innocence. Ciel's eyes darted around the messed up room before they intensely focused on the man's perfect face.

"Where have you been? I've cleaned this room up countless times because of mysterious explosions…" Ciel trailed off when Sebastian smirked. Suspicious and slightly annoyed, Ciel moved completely out of his crouching position and faced his master with a disgruntled expression. The two males looked like two polar opposites; while Sebastian looked spotless and untouched, Ciel looked as if he had been to hell and back.

"Those were not explosions, my pet. They were portals," Sebastian explained calmly. Ciel blinked, slightly shocked by his master's explanation for the strange explosions.

"Portals?" he asked skeptically. As if on cue, a loud explosion sounded, causing Ciel to cover his ears. His eyes widened as a small, swirling, black hole appeared directly behind Sebastian's feet. The boy watched as small bolts of black lightning originating from the hole struck several areas of the room, leaving small black stains that disappeared after a few seconds. The portal emitted sounds of strangled screams, hysterical laughter, and pained groans. The smell of pure evil (apparently, pure evil actually has a scent) permeated the room, causing Ciel to choke. The portal continued to grow in size at a relatively fast rate until it was large enough for three people of Sebastian's stature to comfortably fit into it at the same time. The demon sighed before glancing tiredly over his shoulder.

_I am really starting to tire of this…_ Sebastian thought with slight annoyance. The red-eyed demon turned back towards his shocked pet.

"Well, it seems as if I am being…called again. If you will excuse me…" Sebastian said before turning to go into the portal.

"Wait!" Ciel suddenly called out, jerking the immortal male to a stop. The master of the manor turned to face his pet with an unreadable expression. "Where exactly…does that lead?" Ciel asked as he uncovered his ears and glared at the portal with distrust. Sebastian smiled charmingly at both the boy's facial expression and at the answer to the child's question.

"Would you like to know?" Sebastian asked slyly. Ciel gave the man a pointed glare; of **course** he would like to know! He had asked for a reason! Sebastian chuckled at his butler's silent response. The demon turned so that he was fully facing the portal and glanced back at Ciel over his shoulder. "Then, follow me," Sebastian responded mysteriously.

"What?" Ciel asked, slightly taken aback by his master's response. Sebastian merely winked and placed a finger on his lips before he jumped into the portal. Ciel's eyes widened at the man's action before he ran to the edge of the portal. His natural instincts took over again, telling him not to jump into it.

But Ciel Phantomhive being Ciel Phantomhive allowed for his pride to govern his actions.

He narrowed his eyes at the portal to an unknown destination. "That bastard…" he growled through clenched teeth. The child took a deep breath before he too, launched himself into the gateway to the unknown.

Ciel instantly regretted doing so.

The boy couldn't see anything above, below, or around him; it was pitch-black. Ciel opened his mouth to take in air, but he found that he could barely open his mouth in the first place. The pressure of his fall was forcing his jaw and eyes tightly shut. Ciel began to worry that he would suffocate as he continued his descent into the unknown. The pressure of the air quickly caused Ciel to move out of his upright position. Ciel screamed in his head (since he couldn't open his mouth) as his body fell and simultaneously spun and tumbled out of control. The sound of the air whistling past, along with some of the sounds he had heard earlier met the boy's ears, causing Ciel to open his eyes to try and see if the area around him had changed. They instantly watered from the air blasting in his face, but Ciel could almost make out an indistinguishable change in his surroundings.

The child butler noticed that the portal walls were actually not just black; they were a mix of a dark purple and a blue darker than Ciel's own eye color. Ciel also noted that he wasn't just freely falling anywhere; the walls were shifting around him as if guiding exactly where the portal was going to drop him off. Still, his descent was no walk in the park. Ciel was jerked so hard in different directions that he worried his neck would snap. The thought suddenly crossed his mind that he hadn't seen Sebastian below him.

_That's odd…he jumped in only a few seconds before me. Could it be that this portal warps time in a way that two passengers cannot travel at the same time? Or maybe the portal took him to a different location?_

Ciel felt his anxiety spike at the thought of being dropped off in a random location without someone there to guide him. The butler stiffened when he felt something brush his face. Suddenly, screeching laughter pierced the air, causing the blood to drain from Ciel's face. The boy gasped when he saw a glimpse of his eye patch being taken away by some black, formless cloud.

"Look! Look, everyone! He's been marked! A marked human!" a shrill voice commented with glee. Ciel, despite the pressure from the air pushing against him as he continued his descent, attempted to turn his head in the direction of the voice. But the thing was, several more voices chorused in, confusing and unnerving the Phantomhive.

"Oh, joy! I haven't seen one of those in ages!" one rumbling voice said excitedly.

"Yes, a rare sight indeed! But where is this little human's owner?" a feminine voice asked slyly.

"Is it possible that this human has been abandoned?" another shrill voice asked with mock sadness.

"Or perhaps he jumped in without even knowing where he was going?" a hoarse voice stated before breaking into a fit of giggles that didn't match its original tone. Several more laughs, giggles, and snickers joined in, causing a deafening chorus of demented laughter. There were many more comments, each one getting more and more frightening, no matter how it was worded or what tone it was said in. Ciel shakily raised his hands over his ears to try and block out the voices; it would be useless for him to panic now.

"Awww, now that's no fun…if the human isn't going to listen to us, whatever shall we do?" a childish voice asked "innocently".

Suddenly, he was assaulted with flashing images of things Ciel was honestly sickened by and silently hoped to forget, but he knew he never would. He felt as if his mind was being raped as images of broken bodies, decapitated people, bloody rapes, horrific murders, gruesome robberies, war-torn countries and war-torn bodies, vicious animal attacks, and many, many, **many**, more met his line of sight. Even when Ciel tried to close his eyes, it was as if an invisible force was forcing them to remain open. Ciel honestly felt like he was going to die just seeing the things he was being forced to see and remember.

The relief Ciel felt when he was surrounded by pitch darkness and absolute silence was immeasurable. Ciel blinked experimentally and nearly cried with relief when he could finally close and open his eyes by his own free will. Ciel blinked when he noticed a light several meters below his falling body.

_Perhaps this portal will reject me and take me back to the manor? _Ciel thought hopefully.

That hope was instantly dashed when Ciel was unceremoniously pushed out of the portal. The child butler released a short yelp before he slammed into the rocky ground. Several loose and jagged pieces of rock cut and dug into Ciel's face and hands, causing the child to wince in pain. Ciel's head spun as he tried to get a grip on his senses. After a few moments, Ciel shakily lifted his head to take in his surroundings. From what he could see, it looked as if it was nighttime because everything was dark; the only thing that confused the child was that there seemed to be a green tint to the sky above him. The clouds that covered the majority of the sky rumbled and moved quickly, suggesting a storm was brewing. Gusts of wind blew over Ciel, causing the child to shiver from the temperature. All around him, dead trees and other forestry, blackened as if they had experienced a terrible fire, creaked and waved as they were moved by the forceful wind. Ciel turned his head so that he was looking directly in front of him. The boy blinked in shock before his eyes widened.

"Th-This is…" Ciel trailed off as he slowly got to his feet, despite his body's protests. Ciel had landed right at the edge of a cliff; if the portal had pushed him with a little more force, the boy would've been launched right off the edge…

…and into the streets of London.

An exact replica of the city laid spread out below the edge of the cliff Ciel was currently standing on. But Ciel knew it wasn't really London; above Big Ben and blanketing the whole of the city was a black, ominous cloud. Occasionally, green lightning bolts would strike the city and a horrified scream would follow shortly after. Surrounding the replicated capital were craggy cliffs; on some of them, oversized crows and other unrecognizable beasts sat perched, just watching London. A stench and feeling of pure evil emanated from the imitation human city, causing Ciel to feel terribly uneasy.

"Where…am I?" Ciel asked breathlessly. A cold wind carrying the screams of tormented people and a group of screeching bats washed over the boy. Ciel covered his face as some of the bats attempted to claw his eyes out. When the temporary assault ended, Ciel felt a strong urge to make a run for it before it was too late.

"You know exactly where you are…" a voice snarled. The child whipped around and paled in fright. An oversized wolf was standing a few meters away from him, its golden eyes shining with amusement and hunger. The wolf dwarfed Ciel, making Ciel's anxiety towards the whole situation increase drastically. The animal had black fur with red tints in various places and gleaming white teeth that looked like they could easily tear Ciel to shreds in a matter of seconds. Saliva dripped from the wolf's mouth, and its muscles were bunched up as if it was ready to pounce at any moment.

Ciel, knowing from his studies with Tanaka, masked his fear and tried to appear as calm as he could. He coolly looked at the wolf before narrowing his eyes slightly.

"If I knew where I was, I wouldn't have asked," Ciel responded in a cool tone of voice. The wolf cackled, causing the hairs on the back of Ciel's neck to stand on end.

_This wolf can't be a wolf. For one, it is talking and has the ability to laugh. Not only that, it is also much larger than its species. But regardless of whether or not it is a wolf, I am in serious danger._

"My my, aren't you an interesting human? Interesting, but clearly stupid," the wolf snickered when Ciel glared at him before tilting its head to the side. The animal analyzed the boy in front of him with unrestrained interest and hunger. It had been centuries since an actual **human** had been here; he would actually be able to feast on something **alive**. The wolf curled its lip up in an imitation of a smile; he liked to play with his food. He might as well tell the poor human where he was before he devoured him. With a hint of pride, the wolf made a sweeping motion with his tail, inadvertently causing a gust of wind and dust to hit Ciel in the face.

"You, my lovely little meal, are in the place where lost souls go, regardless of whether they want to be here or not. Human," the wolf paused for dramatic effect.

"Welcome to Hell."

Ciel barely had time to blink before the wolf launched itself at him. Ciel moved to pull out his hunting gun, but he found that his body had frozen against his own will. The wolf's eyes glowed in their true state; a swirling scarlet. Ciel's eyes widened as the wolf which was actually a demon used its demonic powers to physically hold the boy in place. Ciel knew it was useless for him to scream; since he was in Hell, it was clear that everyone in the vicinity would be too busy with their own horrific problems to help him. But that didn't stop fear from coursing through his body. Ciel shakily opened his mouth and released a small cry.

The wolf-demon opened its mouth, showing off its razor sharp teeth. The creature was now inches away from Ciel's face.

**CRUNCH!**

Ciel watched in astonishment as a foot connected squarely with the side of the wolf-demon's jaw. With a surprised yip of pain, it was sent flying away from the shocked butler and off the side of the cliff. No sooner did the beast break eye contact with Ciel did the boy find his ability to move was restored.

"Honestly, must I have a collar and a leash on you at all times to make sure you do not get into any trouble?" Ciel's savior commented. Ciel's head jerked up, and the boy locked eyes with his demon master. The amount of relief that coursed through Ciel's body at seeing the familiar demon caused his chest to tighten unbearably. He could feel heat rushing up to his cheeks as his eyes burned from the lack of water developing where it should have. The boy had never wanted to cry as much as he did at that moment. Sebastian had saved him…again. Even when the boy had been certain that it was the end for him, his master had found a way to rescue him.

"Master!" Ciel exclaimed tearfully, causing Sebastian to raise an eyebrow in question. Without thinking about the repercussions of his actions, Ciel threw himself into his master's torso. Sebastian was completely taken aback as his servant clung to him. The butler buried his face in the taller man's torso and trembled as he thought about all the horrors he had faced without his master by his side. Ciel felt waves of relief, comfort, and safety wash over him as he continued to cling to his master. Sebastian, who wasn't used to his pet being so affectionate, could only stand stock still. The supernatural being took note of how much Ciel was trembling and inwardly growled. Someone or something must have really frightened Ciel to make the boy do something like this.

"Ciel," Sebastian softly called, trying to get the child's attention. Said boy raised his head, but continued to hang onto the demon, looking at the other male with an unguarded facial expression. Sebastian found Ciel utterly irresistible at that moment and swooped down to capture the child's lips in a passionate kiss. The feel of the other man's lips fervently manipulating his own instantly snapped Ciel out of his fear-induced state. With a muffled squawk, the butler tore his mouth away from Sebastian's and violently shoved the demon away.

"What do you think you're doing, Master?" Ciel asked, truly shocked that his master had done such a thing at that moment and time. The child furiously scrubbed his lips and glared at the older male. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at his butler's reaction.

"I believe I should be asking you the same thing…" Sebastian trailed off as he continued to analyze Ciel. The pet was about to retort when he suddenly realized that Sebastian actually had a point. Ciel had never hugged the other man before, no matter how intense his emotions had been.

[_It has to be the air in Hell…it's messing with my head. There's __**no way**__ that I would __**willingly**__ cling to Sebastian in such a fashion! There's no way!_]

"Where were you, my lord? I didn't see you when I jumped into and traveled through the portal at all," Ciel asked, trying to steer the topic away from his odd behavior. Sebastian sighed before running a hand through his hair.

"Because you took the **human** portal to Hell," Sebastian said tiredly. When the demon saw the child's confusion, he continued to explain. "You see, my pet, portals to Hell have the ability to detect what sort of being is traveling through them because all of them are controlled by Satan. Satan has the ability to control where portals appear and to what area of Hell they drop off their passengers. Satan made three types of portals: Human portals, Demon portals, and Hunter portals. The only things that can also make portals are the weapons of Hunters, and those portals go straight to Satan. When lost souls are sent to Hell, they travel through the exact same portal that you did: the Human portal. That portal is meant to instill fear into the hearts of your kind, inevitably driving the majority of lost souls into insanity and despair. These feelings are amplified by the presence of 'Portal Watchers', which are specialized Pureblood demons who do not have a real shape; they merely exist and feed off of the hate, fear, and desperation of the souls that travel through those portals. When regular demons are sent to Hell, they do not see or hear anything that you saw or heard; they just fall straight down, like an elevator plummeting to the ground. For Hunters like me, we travel the same way that regular demons do, only we fall at a much faster rate," Sebastian finished.

Ciel blinked as his mind slowly absorbed the new information his master had just explained to him. "So, you are saying that portals, even if they are leading to the same destination, can instantly shift based on the presence of whatever goes into them?" Ciel asked for clarification purposes. Sebastian nodded and pointed towards the replicated city of London. Ciel followed his master's pointing finger.

"Also, there are different realms of Hell that fit the soul. Since you are British, the most familiar environment for you and other English people is London; therefore, Satan created this hell-like London. It is meant to offer false hope so that the pain of eternal suffering in a familiar setting is amplified," Sebastian added. Ciel mentally shuddered at the thought of what lay in the alleyways of the hell city as he continued to gaze at the foreboding capital.

Ciel gasped in shock when Sebastian suddenly picked him up and held him like a princess. "My lord? What are you doing?" Ciel exclaimed in a slightly breathless, but irritated, tone of voice. Sebastian smiled charmingly at the lightly flushing child before looking out at the ominous horizon.

"I have tired of Satan's games. I am going directly to her lair, and it would take me even longer to get to my destination if you are walking beside me," Sebastian said in a dark tone of voice. Ciel's eyes widened at his master's tone of voice and odd pronoun use.

_Surely my ears must be deceiving me. He didn't just refer to Satan using the pronoun 'her', did he?_

Before Ciel could voice his thought aloud, Sebastian suddenly jumped off the cliff, turning Ciel's question into an embarrassing squeal of surprise.

**XXX**

Ciel could only stare in awe at the doorway to Satan's lair. The pair had been traveling for what felt like hours, but Sebastian swore it only took a few minutes. Now, they were standing in front of the entrance to the home of the most evil and hated being in the mortal and parts of the immortal world.

The home of Satan was built in medieval style, complete with a moat containing a creature that looked strangely like a cross between a mystical dragon and a tiger. The base of the castle was actually part of the crag, and the towers that branched upwards from the first story were made of several different types of stone. All around the first story of the castle, besides a moat, was a spiked iron fence; the spiked ends of the fence ran through the skulls of deceased humans and other creatures. Ciel, shuddering from the mental image, craned his neck back to see where the towers to the Devil's lair ended, but it seemed as if they went on endlessly into the sky. The lair itself was perched on the highest cliff, giving the ruler of Hell the ability to see it in its entirety. Around the towers, wailing creatures with no forms circled around and around, emitting wails that made Ciel want to rip his ears off. Two heavily armored demons with brown-colored eyes stood guard on either side of the large, wooden door. They each held a lance, a shield, and knowledge of things that Ciel would not like to dwell on for long periods of time in their eyes. The silent guards eyed Sebastian with shielded looks of hate and mistrust; Sebastian merely smiled.

"I have been called by Satan several times today. I believe whatever needs to be discussed is quite important," Sebastian reported politely. One of the demons looked as if he was about to say something, but a look from the other silenced him. The two guards moved further away from the door and pointed their lances at the wall. Ciel watched with slight interest as the pair of armored demons locked eyes with each other. At the exact same time, the two males stabbed their lances into the walls. Once the weapons were firmly embedded, they slowly and simultaneously turned the lances a little to the right, mimicking the movements of placing a key in a keyhole and turning the key to unlock a door.

Sebastian resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the overdramatic way to simply open a door. He was really going to have to talk to his employer about this ritual. Ciel, however, was fascinated (and trying to hide his fascination) by the whole process. Slowly, the wooden door began to open. Ciel was stunned when a sugary scent wafted out from the inside of the castle. Glancing up at his master before quickly looking away, the boy decided to just wait and see if his question would be answered at a later time.

When the door fully opened, Sebastian gave each guard a charming smile before confidently striding into Satan's lair. No sooner did the two walk through the entranceway, the doors slammed shut behind them, enveloping them in darkness. Milliseconds later, candles in their respective holders flared to life around the perimeter of the room. Ciel blinked owlishly as his human eyes slowly adjusted to the sudden change in light.

They were currently in a room made entirely of stone. The walls were covered in odd paintings that looked suspiciously like something a five year old would draw; the sickly sweet smell hung in the air like a weight of its own. Ciel looked at the ceiling to see red-colored streamers strung between the wooden rafters. The boy looked towards the front of the room to see a long staircase leading up to a throne. Leading up to the stone staircase was a red carpet. On either side of the throne were two tall candle holders. Perched on one of the arms of the gold-edged throne was a black crow which looked like it was glaring at the two newcomers. Ciel glanced to the right and left of the throne to see two winding staircases; from the looks of it, they lead into the towers that looked like they never ended.

A creaking sound coming from the elaborately designed throne instantly caught Ciel's attention. It was currently turned away from Sebastian and Ciel, so the child butler and the demon master couldn't see who was occupying the seat. Sebastian looked completely unfazed as the creaking sound continued for a few moments. Eventually, Ciel gritted his teeth in irritation; it almost sounded as if someone who didn't have a lot of weight was rocking back and forth in the large throne.

"Satan…if you could please refrain from-"

"Sebastian Michaelis…I believe I told you not to address me as such," a surprisingly high, and obviously female, voice reprimanded in a dangerous tone of voice. Ciel was completely taken aback by the sound. The creaking noise stopped immediately after the female's rebuttal. The sound of feet hitting the floor echoed throughout the nearly empty room. It almost sounded as if a really short person had just jumped from a really high perch.

Ciel's eyes nearly popped out of his head at what he saw next.

A young girl who couldn't have been older than seven or eight stood with the authority of the greatest person in the world in front of the throne. The girl had raven-colored hair, just like Sebastian's, that hung loose to the small of her back. Her long hair, except for her bangs, was held back by a red-colored headband that had two little pointed ends to give the appearance of horns. The girl had flawless and pale skin, paler than Ciel's demon master, suggesting that she had never seen an ounce of sunshine since her birth. Her ears were slightly pointed at the tops, making her look like the elves Ciel had read about during his break times. She was currently scowling at the pair, showing off a gleaming pair of fangs just like Sebastian's. The raven-haired girl was wearing a cute little red dress that hung to her ankles, allowing for the child to show off a pair of miniature red dress shoes. On the back of the dress, a little above her butt, was a red tail that had an arrowhead at the end.

But the most mesmerizing detail about the mysterious child was her eyes. Ciel watched as the girl's eyes shifted from violet, to green, to yellow, and back to violet before several colors intermixed to form…

…a rainbow.

"You're Satan?" Ciel exclaimed in disbelief. Both Sebastian and the little girl now known as Satan glanced at the human, finally acknowledging his presence in the room. Satan's scowl deepened at the hated name before she pointedly glared at the other demon.

"You haven't told him what I prefer to be called? Furthermore, how many times have I told you this: you **cannot** break off your engagement with Grell by marrying someone else, no matter how young, cute, or rich he or she may be," the little demon stated with authority. Ciel couldn't help but to blush at the horrible misunderstanding; his blush deepened when Sebastian didn't say anything to negate the accusation of the ruler of Hell.

"Master! Put me down this instant!" Ciel ordered with embarrassment. Sebastian smirked at his flustered pet before calmly setting him on the ground. When Ciel's feet touched the ground, the boy immediately focused his attention on Satan.

"You have it all wrong…I am not married to Sebas- I mean, to Master Michaelis. I am merely contracted to him and work as his butler, his partner as the Queen's Watchdog, his fellow hunter-"

"-and my sex pet," Sebastian added smoothly. Ciel growled before aiming a deadly glare at the other man.

'_I wasn't saying that __**for…a…reason**__!'_

'_As I figured…but you see, my pet, this is __**Satan**__ you are talking to. She knows about all demonic contracts, especially contracts made by hunters,' _Sebastian responded calmly.

A slow smile spread on the little girl's face, making her look as if she was the most innocent person in the world.

"So **you're** the sex pet all of the demons have been gossiping about," her eyes ran over the boy's rumpled appearance with slight disdain before a mischievous glint sparkled in her rainbow eyes. "I've heard **so much** about you…especially about that voice of yours," she added slyly. Faster than Ciel's eyes could catch, Satan appeared directly in front of him. She didn't have to lean up that much to reach the boy's ear; she wasn't that much shorter than Ciel.

"Is it really true that your voice can get as high as a blue bird when you orgasm?" she whispered with mock innocence. Ciel's eyes widened while his cheeks flared crimson. Gaping, he could only open and shut his mouth like a fish out of water. The Devil moved away from Ciel's ear to look at the flustered boy in the face. Sebastian watched with amusement as his poor pet grasped for some intelligent way to respond. Ciel had honestly been shocked by both the comment (really now, how could such scandalous and **outrageous** rumors be spread about him?) and the way the little child had phrased it. Considering how sweet and innocent her face looked, you would never think she knew such dirty words like 'orgasm'.

Then again, she wasn't the **ruler** of **Hell** for nothing…

Sebastian, deciding to rescue his pet for the second time in one day, finally formulated a response in his butler's place. "Now Satan, I do believe-"

"For the last time, **Michaelis**, it's Scarlet. Call me Scarlet," Satan (who preferred to be called Scarlet) ordered. Ciel blinked at the nickname the Devil had come up with for herself. The little demon curled a strand of hair around her finger as she coolly looked at Sebastian. "Scarlet sounds so much cuter than Satan. Honestly, it describes me way better too since I love everything that's this exact shade of red," Scarlet pointed out. The raven-haired female snapped her fingers; between her thumb and index finger, a red lollipop appeared. She immediately began to suck on the treat daintily. Ciel glanced around the room to confirm what Scarlet had said was true.

_No wonder she picked Grell as Sebastian's fiancée…they both love the color red._

Sebastian wore a submissive expression as he placed a hand over his heart and slightly bowed at the waist. "My apologies, your highness," he said in a matching tone of voice. Ciel blinked at his master's sudden obedience. Scarlet gave a calculating look to her favorite hunter before she released the lollipop from her mouth with a 'pop'. She flipped her hair back over her shoulder and smiled brightly at Sebastian.

"You are forgiven, Sebastian," she finally said in a happy tone of voice. Sebastian moved out of his position and put on his 'charm the ladies' smile.

"If you don't mind my asking, Scarlet, why exactly were you summoning me with different portals for the past few hours that dropped me off nowhere near your home?" he asked in a tone that suggested that he was trying to hide his irritation as best as he could. The Devil blinked with slight confusion before her eyes widened in childish delight. She clapped her hands together.

"Hang on one second! I have something I wish to show you," she exclaimed before dashing into one of the doorways that led to a winding staircase.

Ciel glanced over at Sebastian quizzically. "Is that really Satan? Somehow, I imagined her to be a…him… And does her behavior switch between pure evil and childlike innocence often?" he asked with curiosity. Sebastian looked down at his pet with a blank expression.

"Yes, she is really The Devil. This is why one must be careful when dealing with her. She is wise beyond her years, the most evil thing to ever be created, and she wants to maintain her image as an innocent child to throw off her enemies. I'm not sure how your race came up with the image for Satan that they have; she has always looked like that since time immemorial. It used to just be a façade since she would always act conniving and malicious. But somehow, she discovered that confusion is one's greatest enemy, and now, acting like an innocent child is ingrained into her personality. It is something you just have to get used to," Sebastian explained. Ciel blinked and looked warily at where The Devil had disappeared.

"Only someone who isn't right in the head could get used to that…" he mumbled.

"That is why I chose Sebastian as my favorite hunter!" Satan chirped brightly as she reentered the room. Ciel resisted the urge to laugh at Sebastian's shocked facial expression. Before his master could defend himself, the ruler of Hell thrust a paper into his face.

"Look! One of the members of the Council gave this paper to me as a gift. Apparently, all I need to do is write the name of whomever I wish to summon on the back of it. Then, I just have to imagine Hell as one big piece of paper, with my home being in the middle of course, and draw a big spiral to represent a portal. And then," Satan's eyes shone brightly as she moved the paper away from Sebastian's face, "an actual portal will appear!" she finished excitedly. Both Ciel and Sebastian regarded the spiral-covered sheet of paper with obvious skepticism. The Devil, seeing this, smirked.

"Clearly, it must have worked since I was able to summon you, Sebastian," Scarlet pointed out smartly. Sebastian's eyebrow twitched slightly at his employer's remark.

"If that is the case, then why didn't you stop summoning me after the first time?" Sebastian asked with obvious restraint. Satan's smirk widened in a way that looked similar to Sebastian's trademark one.

"Because it was fun!"

Ciel was practically dying of laughter on the inside at Sebastian's obvious irritation; he made sure to keep his face completely unreadable on the outside.

"So you did not have an important mission for me to complete, Scarlet?" Sebastian asked tiredly. Scarlet frowned at her favorite hunter's tone before she sighed.

"No, I really do have a reason for summoning you. I just thought it was the perfect opportunity to try out my gift; I got distracted is all," the little demon added with a smile. Both Sebastian and Ciel's attention was grabbed when Satan's facial expression turned grim.

"It appears as if there is a rogue demon that has been spotted in your hunting domain. She has been regarded as only a mere nuisance for many centuries, but recently, her activities have been causing unnecessary chaos. I think it is time to restrain her before she does something that attracts the attention of the mortal world," Satan stated seriously. Hell's ruler turned away from the duo and made her way back to her throne. The crow cawed before moving from its perch; with three strong flaps of its wings, the royal seat was turned so Satan could sit facing her hunters. Scarlet did so and allowed for the black bird to sit on her shoulder. Her eyes solemnly gazed at the master and servant.

"I want for you two to be on high alert for now. Her recent movements suggest she is coming towards you instead of running away from you. Do not attack first; allow for her to make a move. If she attacks, then you have my permission to hunt her," Satan ordered. Sebastian raised an eyebrow in curiosity at Satan's odd order. Normally, she would order for Sebastian to hunt a demon, not to wait.

"This rogue demon must be high ranking if you are asking for me not to immediately hunt her," Sebastian voiced aloud. Satan nodded and crossed her legs.

"It is not really she who is high ranking; however, she does have close ties and alliances with some members of the Council as well as with some well-respected Purebloods. I think it is best for you, as a Semihominis, to approach this situation with the utmost caution," Satan explained somberly.

Sebastian slowly nodded before he got down on one knee to bow to the evilest being in the universe. A pointed look from his master made Ciel reluctantly mimic the older male's motions.

"Yes, Your Highness," Sebastian responded seriously. Scarlet nodded her head, pleased that her hunter regarded her orders with respect. After a moment, Sebastian, shortly followed by Ciel, moved from his position on the floor.

"If that is all you have summoned me for, I shall return to E-"

"Wait!" Scarlet exclaimed. "I wish for both you and your pet to remain here for the rest of the night," she requested (which was really an order). Ciel blinked at the odd request before looking over at his master for his response.

"If I may ask, why do you wish for such a thing?" Sebastian asked politely. A mischievous glint shone in Satan's mesmerizing eyes as they locked onto Ciel's stiffly standing form.

"Well," she drawled, "both you and he have had a tiring day. I merely wish for you two to be well-rested so that you may be on high alert and well-prepared in case that rogue demon attacks you," Satan finished confidently. Sebastian knew he couldn't refuse an invitation from the ruler of all demons; with that thought in mind, Ciel's master bowed gracefully.

"Then both I and my servant humbly accept your gracious invitation," Sebastian responded seriously. "If you will excuse us-"

"Just a moment!" Scarlet cut in again. She leaped from her throne, upsetting the poor bird that had been calmly sitting on her shoulder, and enveloped the shocked butler in a bear hug. The ruler of Hell smiled gleefully at Sebastian. "You can go on ahead to your room; Farquhar," Satan glanced at the raven near her throne, "will show you the way."

Satan's eyes and voice took on a sly tone as she looked at Ciel, "I'm not done with your pet yet."

**XXX**

Sebastian lazily opened one eye when he heard muffled voices on the other side of the door. The hunter demon was waiting patiently for his pet to join him in their shared room for the evening. He was currently lying on his back and looking up at the ceiling; he was also trying to ignore the wailing demons that kept flying around outside. In Satan's castle, there were only four bedrooms, one room at the top of each tower. Since demons didn't require sleep, the strongest demon in the world did not think it was necessary to have an excessive amount of bedrooms. So, when she was ordering her minions to build her home, she made one room for herself and three extras in case she ever had any guests who actually required such a trivial need.

Sebastian's ears perked up when he recognized the voices; one belonged to Ciel, and the other belonged to his employer. The raven-haired male couldn't really distinguish exactly what they were saying, but he caught little snippets of their conversation. From what Sebastian could hear, it sounded as if Ciel was embarrassed by Satan saying something looked cute and that Sebastian would **really** like it. Interested, Sebastian opened both eyes and rolled onto his side so that he was facing the door. He could hear little feet skipping happily down the stairs, signaling that Scarlet was leaving. The red-eyed demon smirked slightly when he heard Ciel grumble something about how every demon contained varying degrees of idiocy.

Sebastian watched as the doorknob slowly turned, almost as if Ciel was trying to sneak back into the room. It became obvious that it was his pet's plan, for Ciel moved into the room in a way that suggested he was trying to hide something. Sebastian resisted the urge to chuckle at his pet's cute behavior. When Ciel quietly shut the door, his demon master snapped his fingers, causing the candles in the room to flare to life.

The sight that met Sebastian's eyes was too good to be true.

Ciel jumped when the room was suddenly lit. He cursed when the outfit he was forced to wear by Scarlet rode up even higher than it already did. With obvious embarrassment, the young butler attempted to pull down the hem of the outfit while turning around to face his master.

If Sebastian wasn't a demon, the man would've thought he had died and gone to heaven.

His blushing butler was currently attempting to make the hem of a skimpy black nightgown cover up what little it already did. Ciel was dressed in a black, and practically see-through, nightgown that only came down a few inches below his hipbones. Sebastian could see the bottom curve of his servant's cute little butt because of the lack of length. The nightgown had red trim around the area where Ciel's breasts would've been located if he had been a girl. The collar and bottom hem of the gown were lined with lace, making the overall ensemble look even more scandalous.

But Ciel's face, hair, and the back of his outfit were what really caught Sebastian's attention.

Scarlet had somehow managed to get the proud Phantomhive to wear makeup. Eye shadow and eyeliner were applied in a way that really brought out the color of both of his eyes. A light dusting of rice powder was applied to both of his cheeks, and his lips had clear pomade applied over dark red lipstick, making them alluring and begging to be kissed. Sebastian's eyes traveled away from the boy's perfectly made up face to his hair. The way his hair was **styled** was exactly the same; the main difference that "excited" Sebastian was the headband he wore in his hair. To the demon, it looked as if the boy had a little pair of black cat ears. Ciel's overall outfit finally came together when the man's eyes roamed to the back of his outfit. Perched right over his perky butt was a black tail that looked **exactly** like a cat's tail.

Ciel was dressed as a black cat.

Sebastian **loved** cats.

Sebastian's eyes began to glow as his mind was taken over by demonic lust. The demon had always wanted to dress his cute little servant like a cat, but he had never gotten the chance to purchase such materials (Grell would somehow find a way to confiscate and thoroughly destroy them).

But now, Ciel was dressed and his for the taking.

"-ter? Master…? Master, don't stare at me like that!" Ciel shouted indignantly. Sebastian blinked before licking his lips, causing Ciel's flight response to go into overdrive.

"I cannot help it. You look very…different, my pet," Sebastian worded carefully, noticing that the boy was prepared to run at any second. Ciel rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

"It's not as if I **wanted** to be dressed in such a way. Satan kept **insisting** that I should try to wear something cute because I should make you happy, which I don't really care about in the first place. But I just think she was being a pervert…" Ciel trailed off when Sebastian suddenly appeared in front of him. Ciel's eyes widened as he backed up into the door, trying to create some distance between himself and his master. Ciel froze when one of Sebastian's hands grabbed for the tail while the other moved to touch the velvety cat ears. The cat-loving demon brought the tail under his nose while he continued to rub the specially made headband. Ciel could feel heat rising to his cheeks from the look in his master's eyes. Sebastian's smirk widened as his hands released the items and came down to rest on Ciel's hips.

"Oh no, Satan is correct. **This** has made me very happy," Sebastian said huskily. Ciel gasped and grabbed his master's wrists when the man's hands traveled down the side of his thighs before moving under and up his clothing. He glared at the older man and attempted to completely remove his master's hands from his body.

"Master, what are you doing? We are **guests**! We can't do something so scandalous tonight, so get your hands off of me!" Ciel reprimanded harshly. Sebastian tilted his head to the side before he smiled charmingly.

"Why not? We are in Hell, where such actions are commonplace and widely accepted," Sebastian pointed out. Ciel's body trembled when Sebastian proceeded to kiss and lick down the column of his neck. For an odd reason, Sebastian's ministrations were having a bigger effect on his body than they normally did. The demon master smirked against his pet's neck before he suddenly grabbed Ciel's butt, causing the boy to yelp in surprise and indignation.

"Do you feel that? My lustful touches are affecting you more than they normally do, aren't they?" Sebastian whispered against the boy's skin. Ciel felt his knees go weak when the man began to slowly massage his ass. The only thing that was keeping him upright was the man's hands that were violating his butt. His grip on Sebastian's hands began to slip as he felt his resistance begin to fall apart. "That's because in Hell, sinful emotions and feelings are intensified tenfold. For demons, it increases our need to perform such actions; for humans, it increases the feelings that go along with such actions," Sebastian explained before he latched onto the boy's neck.

"St-Stop it, ah!" Ciel commanded breathlessly. Sebastian's response was to suckle harder on the boy's soft skin, making Ciel's trembles and tiny moans increase drastically. One of Sebastian's hands traveled around to the front of Ciel's body and experimentally grabbed the boy's half-hard member. Ciel sharply inhaled and quickly looked to the side when he heard Sebastian chuckle.

"It looks like you won't last long tonight," Sebastian said with amusement. Ciel squeaked when Sebastian scooped him into his arms. The child struggled slightly as his master carried him over to the queen-size bed.

"Master…Satan told us to…rest," Ciel struggled to say. The lace hem of the nightgown was brushing against his growing erection, causing bursts of pleasure to shoot through his system. Sebastian's response was to toss Ciel onto the bed, causing the young Phantomhive to glare at him in disbelief. The butler made a move to get off of the bed, but a sharp pain in his contracted eye stopped him in his tracks.

"Don't move," Sebastian ordered. Ciel growled but reluctantly obeyed his demon master's order. Sebastian shrugged himself out of his jacket, revealing his black vest and white undershirt. Ciel swallowed nervously when the man loosened his black tie. Sebastian smirked at the hint of nervousness in the preteen's eyes.

"You know, I was shocked when you clung to me earlier today," Sebastian said casually. Ciel opened his mouth to negate his master's statement, but Sebastian smoothly cut him off.

"I want you to cling to me like that while I fuck you tonight," Sebastian said lowly. Ciel's eyes widened as his mouth dropped open at his master's wording.

_I guess Hell really __**does**__ affect how demon's act…_

Ciel frowned before he glared at his smirking master. "What makes you think that I will do such a thing?" he asked with a hint of anger. Sebastian's smirk widened as he completely removed his tie.

"**This**," Sebastian responded smartly. Ciel couldn't even crawl away before he was pinned to the bed by the stronger male. The Phantomhive struggled valiantly as Sebastian grabbed for both of his hands.

"Wh-What…ah! What do you think you're doing?" Ciel asked with what little authority he could. Sebastian's response was to wrap his tie around the child's wrists. The man expertly tied and tightened it, but not tight enough to wear the blood flow would be cut off. Ciel could only gape in astonishment at his bound hands before he glared at Sebastian. "Are you insane? Untie me at once!" Ciel ordered. Sebastian's eyes narrowed dangerously. Ciel gasped in surprise and slight pain when his master pushed him harder into the mattress. The boy futilely wiggled in an attempt to get away from his lustful master.

"Let go, my lord!" Ciel shouted. Sebastian's response was to capture the boy's lipstick-covered lips in a bruising kiss. The butler attempted to wrench his mouth away from his master's, but Sebastian gripped the boy's chin to hold him in place. Ciel whimpered into the harsh kiss as the man forcefully parted his lips. The boy gasped and squeezed his eyes shut as the older male's tongue probed and explored his sweet-tasting cavern. Sebastian's demonic lust slowly seeped into the boy's body and consciousness as the forceful kiss continued. When he felt Ciel's struggles slightly decrease, Sebastian pulled away. Ciel gratefully inhaled much-needed oxygen as he half-heartedly glared up at his smirking master.

Sebastian reached for the hem of the boy's nightgown and pushed it up until his chest was fully revealed. The demon blew hot breath over each nipple, causing Ciel to gasp and squirm. Normally, blowing on the nubs wouldn't affect Ciel, but because they were in Hell, it felt much more pleasurable. The lustful devil smirked before sucking one of the nipples into his mouth while simultaneously pinching the other. Ciel's eyes widened as shockwaves of pleasure traveled through his body. Sebastian's unoccupied hand traveled down the boy's body to teasingly run over his sensitive inner thighs, causing Ciel to emit a high-pitched whine. The Phantomhive quickly clamped his mouth shut to stop himself from voicing such shameful noises. Sebastian smirked around the nipple he was currently sucking on; he would make Ciel feel good, whether the boy wanted to or not. With that thought in mind, Sebastian ran the tip of his finger up the length of the boy's anatomy, causing Ciel to bite his bottom lip, hard.

The demon temporarily released Ciel's nipple from his mouth to pull off his gloves. As he did so, he drank in the sight of his prettily flushed butler. The headband he wore in his hair was slightly askew, but it still looked like the boy had cat ears. His eyes were bleary while his glistening lips were quivering, as if silently begging Sebastian to hurry and continue with his actions. The demon quickly followed the boy's silent request, causing Ciel to release a shocked and pleased cry. Instead of grabbing for the boy's member, Sebastian ran a finger against the wet and quickly softening entrance to the boy's core. Ciel nearly choked on air as the man continued to press and circle the twitching hole with his finger.

_Oh my…!_

Sebastian smirked as he continued to tease his pet. "Oooh? Who knew you were so sensitive right here?" he commented lewdly. Ciel flushed darkly at the other man's remark, but he couldn't retort because he was afraid of the sounds that would come out of his mouth. Sebastian's eyes darkened with lust as he licked his fluid-coated finger. "You know, I normally like to fully see your beautiful body, but this outfit makes you look so **sexy**," Sebastian emphasized hotly. Ciel inhaled sharply before he attempted to curl in on himself.

_He's so embarrassing! There's nothing about me that's sexy!_

"Now that is where you are wrong, my pet. And that voice of yours only adds to your sexiness," Sebastian added before forcing Ciel to open his body and resorting back to his previous motions.

Ciel's tied wrists grinded against each other as he tried to grip onto the sheets below him. Everything felt so good! But still, what they were doing while they were guests in someone's home was completely improper. As a butler, it was his job to make sure that his master's reputation was clean and noteworthy.

"Nyaaaah! M-My lord…d-don't…ngh! W-W-We mustn't, ahn! Stop, oh!" Ciel protested weakly. Sebastian smirked before pulling away from the hardened nubs.

"No," he responded seriously before flipping the boy onto his stomach. He forced Ciel to raise his butt in the air and keep his face down on the pillow. Ciel squeezed his eyes shut in embarrassment, knowing exactly what his master was about to do to him. The nightgown bunched up around Ciel's shoulders, fully revealing his back and quivering ass to the lust-filled demon. Sebastian licked his lips at the view before he stuck three of his own fingers in his mouth and sucked. To keep the boy preoccupied, Sebastian unzipped his trousers and ran the tip of his erection against the boy's overly-sensitive entrance, causing Ciel to whimper and jerk.

"St-Stop i-i-it, YAAHAH!" Ciel cried out when Sebastian plunged two of his saliva-slickened fingers into his hole. The child grimaced and forced himself to accept the invading digits, knowing that it would make everything easier in the long run. The demon added a third finger once Ciel's anus stopped rejecting his fingers. The older man made a scissoring motion to better prepare his pet for what was to come. Ciel panted harshly throughout the stretching process, silently hoping that no one could hear the shameful noises filtering from the bedroom. Sebastian began to mimic the motions of intercourse as he neared the end of preparing his pet. Ciel released a small cry of pleasure when Sebastian's fingers pushed against his prostate gland. The demon smirked before he gently pressed the tiny bump, causing Ciel to whine and struggle harder against his bonds.

"Stop…t-t-teasing me, mmm!" Ciel struggled to say with some authority. Sebastian had to resist the urge to revert to his demonic instincts as he pulled his fingers out of his pet's ass.

"Gladly," he responded lustfully. The demon placed his hands on the boy's hips and his penis in line with the boy's hole before he slowly pushed into his butler's tight heat. Ciel's eyes popped open as his body was forced to adjust to his master's size. Harsh pants and cries of pleasure-pain filled the room as Sebastian buried himself inside of his pet. Ciel's whole body trembled violently as the demon stopped to give the child time to adjust. The Phantomhive felt as if he was going to cum just from being penetrated by his master; the physical feelings he was experiencing were **that** intense. Slowly, he forced his body to calm down and not squeeze his master's manhood to death.

Embarrassed at the whole situation, Ciel buried his burning face in the pillows. "M-Move," he shakily ordered.

Sebastian happily obliged.

Ciel soon forgot his resolve not to make too much noise as his master penetrated him repeatedly. High-pitched shrieks and low groans soon filled the room as the two males fulfilled the most controversial part of their contract.

"F-F-Faster, ahah!" Ciel cried out. Sebastian growled lustfully before he followed his pet's order. Remembering that he was the master in this relationship, Sebastian decided to give the boy an order of his own.

"Cry out for me, Ciel. Let me hear that wanton voice of yours," he ordered lowly. Ciel moaned loudly shortly following his master's command. Even though the boy was beyond embarrassed, the prickling in his eye forced him to open his mouth and emit every cry, gasp, and moan to Sebastian's waiting ears.

When Ciel felt a familiar tightening in his stomach, he moved to touch himself to relieve the pressure. Sadly, he was harshly reminded that his hands were bound together, preventing him from pumping himself to release. Sebastian noticed his butler's movements and suddenly remembered his original reason for tying his pet up in the first place. The demon temporarily stopped thrusting into his pet and flipped the boy onto his back. Sebastian grabbed for the boy's shaking hands and looped them over his neck so that the boy was clinging onto him.

Before long, Sebastian had Ciel screaming and writhing against the headboard as he brought them both closer to release. If the boy could've seen himself at that moment, he would've been horrified at how shameless he looked: legs spread to accept his master's manhood pumping in and out of his body, mouth wide open to emit every shameful noise possible, and head thrown back as he drowned in a sea of intensified ecstasy.

The demon, feeling himself getting closer to the edge, quickly pulled out of the child and bit down as hard as he could without breaking the boy's skin on his neck. Ciel's eyes popped open before he released a scream that would put the wailing demons circling the castle to shame. Sebastian watched with hungry eyes as the boy coated himself with his own semen. One shot of the child's cum hit Ciel on his cheek. Sebastian leaned down and licked at the stray shot of cum while simultaneously pumping himself to completion. With a satisfied groan, Sebastian released onto the boy's shaking body.

Sebastian carefully moved the boy off of the headboard and laid him down on the bed. The demon untied his tie from around the boy's wrists, finally freeing his butler's hands. The demon was pleased to see the child's delicate wrists only had slight bruising; they would heal overnight. Ciel gasped for air as he slowly came down from his post-orgasmic high. He hadn't had an orgasm that intense since Sebastian had made love to him two months ago.

_It's amazing what a change of location does to one's body…_ Ciel thought with slight amazement. Suddenly remembering where they were and whose clothes he was currently wearing, Ciel opened his eyes to glare at his satisfied master. "You…came on Satan's…nightgown," Ciel scolded softly. Sebastian tilted his head to the side before smirking slyly.

"So did you," he pointed out. Ciel did something with his lips that strongly resembled a pout, causing Sebastian to softly smile at the child. Ciel's heart leaped from its position in his chest when the man tenderly kissed him. It was the first time the man had been gentle with him all night; it was rare for Sebastian to act kindly to him when he acted as his sex pet, so Ciel secretly savored the kiss as he brought his hands up to wrap around the man's neck.

"Awwwww! Well, aren't you two just sweet? Although I would've preferred to see you guys jumping each other like wild animals," a child-like voice called from the door. Ciel broke the romantic kiss to whip his head towards the door. Standing with a smirk that would put Sebastian to shame was none other than Satan herself. Sebastian looked completely unfazed by his employer's presence, while Ciel's face flared as red as a tomato. The Devil's eyes roamed over the two males' sexed up bodies before she glanced at her cum-covered nightgown.

"I was coming to check on you guys because I heard your pet's pleasured screams, but it looks like I came too late… Ah well, at least I was able to confirm the rumors all of the demons have been talking about," she stated shamelessly. "Don't worry about my nightgown. You guys can keep it for another special…occasion," Scarlet added mysteriously. Ciel opened his mouth and attempted to negate Satan's assumptions, but his stuttering was so bad that neither of the two supernatural beings could understand him. The Devil looked at Sebastian with a serious expression.

"Sebastian, you and your pet really should rest. I sense that something terrible might happen to the precious thing you have been protecting for many years if you do not keep your guard up at all times," Satan said solemnly. Sebastian stiffened at the ruler of Hell's remark. Ciel, looking confused, could only look between the two demons. Smiling brightly at the two males, Satan moved to exit the room. "Sleep well, my lovely hunters!" she said cheerfully before closing the door and leaving the master and servant alone.

Ciel blinked at the girl's happy departure before looking back at his master. He was going to make a snide remark, but the look on Sebastian's face stopped him cold. His master looked almost like he was in great emotional pain and turmoil. Ciel was shocked and instantly began to worry about what could've caused his master to look so pained.

"Master?" he asked uncertainly. Snapped out of his mental thought processes, Sebastian focused on his pet's worried face. Ciel gasped when he was suddenly embraced by the much older man. Sebastian buried his face in the boy's shoulder as he continued to hold his pet close to his body. Ciel, greatly confused, didn't move as the man continued to hold him.

"Wh-What's wrong, my lord?"

Sebastian's response was to hold on even tighter to the boy in his arms.

[_Don't you think I know what is at stake, Satan? I have not let my guard down for many months now; I will __**never**__ let it down again so long as I live. No matter what I must do or who I must face, I __**will**__ protect my most precious thing…_]

"Sebastian?" Ciel called out, anxiety beginning to increase the longer his master silently held him. It was rare for Sebastian to just hold him without saying or doing something perverted. The demon untucked his head from the boy's shoulder and moved a little further back, but he still held the child in his arms. Ciel, with a calculating facial expression, looked deep into his master's intense eyes. The boy knew there was something seriously wrong; he just couldn't tell what it was. The demon, feeling the child's anxiety and worry increase, reassuringly smiled at Ciel. The butler noted that the immortal's smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Is there something that I can do?" Ciel whispered seriously, referring to whatever was causing his master to act so strangely.

Sebastian gently pulled the boy towards him and gave Ciel a long and amorous kiss.

[_No matter what._]

**XXX**

The sound of high-heeled shoes crunching on dead leaves was the only sound that filled the late November night. All was peaceful as the stranger made her way to her destination. A beautiful woman stopped a few feet away from the entrance to the Michaelis manor. From what she could see, all of the inhabitants of the expansive estate were peacefully sleeping without a care in the world. Heightening her senses, the woman couldn't help but to snarl when she didn't sense the presence of who she was looking for. Opening her eyes and revealing golden irises, the demon's snarl turned into a satisfied smirk. Glancing up at the moon, she mentally counted down the days.

_Soon, it will be time to put my plan into motion. It is almost time for you to feel the same pain that you have put me through, Sebastian Michaelis._

With a whip of her long, black cape, the mysterious woman turned and disappeared into the night.

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(1): **Coke was what richer people used in Victorian times to heat up their homes. It was a type of dust derived from coal that would eventually replace wood and actual coal because it was actually cleaner (although Ciel probably doesn't agree ;D)!**

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**J-C: Oooh, what a creepy way to end, right guys?**

**~Sasuke~ I wasn't scared...**

**J-C: So that's why you're clinging to Naruto, right?**

**Naruto: *smiles happily***

**~Sasuke~ Shut up...**

**J-C: While Sasuke is still in denial, I will focus my attention on you, my lovely readers! ^-^ In one week, I've produced quite the bipolar chapter, haven't I? xD What did you guys think? Was this a good opening chapter for the 3rd arc? What are your thoughts about the arc so far? I'm sure many of you are wondering what the precious thing Sebastian has been earnestly protecting is... *smirks* You will find out for sure by the end of this arc, I promise. As for the person in the ending scene, be prepared because some serious SHIZZNIT is about to go down! *shot for being a poor example of a gangster* xD To celebrate one year of being on this site, please continue to do what you all have been doing since the beginning: REVIEW! ^0^ Seriously, it's because of the reviews, faving, and alerting that this story has survived for as long as it has. I love being able to actually interact with and hear the thoughts of my readers. So, review, review, review, review! ^0^ Thank you SOOOO much for making this story such a huge hit and for making me feel as if I don't fail as a fanfic author (and for dealing with my idiocy in general xD). I love you all! *hugs* ^0^**

**Ja ne for now! ^-^**

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**P.S.**

Hi again! ^0^ So for those who care to know about the whole thief situation, I am proud to say that the issue has somewhat been resolved. I received a PM from Azumi Gaiden, apologizing for stealing my chapter (if you would like to see it, just let me know in the reviews I hope you guys leave)...I accept her ATTEMPT to apologize anyway... -_- She still was trying to convince me to give up on yaoi and shotacon (which, for the record, I don't really like. I only like SebaCiel, not shotacon in general), and it seemed as if she was making excuses as to why she did what she did. Regardless, she apologized, and I wanted to publicly state this since so many of you guys cared enough to comment about the situation in your reviews (some of you must have flamed because I REALLY didn't think she would ever apologize). Thank you all for your kind words and continued support; you all made me feel tons better about the whole situation! ^0^ I almost cried from some of your guys' words, seriously. Thank you, thank you, thank you! ^-^

This case is closed (at least for me commenting about it in my story xD).

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missjasmin: **Lmao at your face! Teehee, that's exactly the reaction I was looking for when I decided to write that line in Chapter 17. ^-^ I'm really happy to hear that your love for this story continues to grow instead of fizzle out...I will continue to write more chapters that increase your love for the story as a whole, just you wait! ^0^ And I will continue to improve my writing too! I will update at a much quicker rate, so look forward to getting closer to learning more about Sebastian. ;) As for the whole theft thing, yeah... *shrugs* What can you do? I think what you said basically summarizes how I felt when I found out. Thanks for this review and your support of my story! ^-^**

Irritum: **Yay! I have another fan! ^0^ It makes me super happy to hear that you love my story, really, it does. ^-^ Whoa, really? I'm honored that my fic was able to make you like Kuroshitsuji (the real one). The more Kuro fans, the better! ^0^ *shrugs shoulders* Well, I've been insulted before, but it was hard to tell when I was being insulted since I could BARELY understand a word she was saying... xD I totally agree with you! How much more hypocritical can someone get? -_- Thank you so much for your kind words and support. This review is very much appreciated! ^-^**

HAPPY BDAY: **Teehee, I likey your penname! xD Oh my goodness gracious me, for real? Well then, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU TOO! We have both entered the realm of older teenhood together! xD Lolz, I'm glad I could update on your and my birthday; thanks for sharing this info with me and for reviewing as well! ^0^**

hitomi-chanchan: **Lolz, don't die on me now! *tries to put reviewer back together* xD Awww, it makes me really glad that you thought my update was what you really wanted. I do hope you were able to get some sleep that night...I would feel slightly guilty if you were exhausted the next day... ^-^' Yeah, I agree with your statement, but what's done is done. *snickers* Besides, I think she got her proper punishment from some of my more...expressive reviewers. ;) Thank you for this review and for your thoughts on THAT situation. ^-^**

*person who didn't leave any name...making the area where a penname goes blank*: **Hooray for another hilarious pun! xD Lolz, gotta love Sebastian and his horny ways...it gives us fangirls something to look forward to...although I'm sure Ciel probably hates us all. ^-^' Hmmm, your feeling just might be right...gotta read the rest of the arc to see if your feeling was really correct! ;) I will update ASAP so that you can find out about all of those things; thanks for your review! ^0^**

fareleen: **Hi hi fareleen! ^-^ Thanks so much for the birthday wishes, and it's great to be back on fanfic, that's for sure! ^-^ Awww, I'm really sorry to hear that you're in the hospital...I hope that you get better soon so that you can continue with your life in peace and joy. ^-^ Lolz, the poor nurse would've probably been so confuzzled by your request, but it makes me happy to know that you still enjoyed this chapter and the lemon while you are sick. ^0^ Oh wow, you like my Author Notes! *eyes shine with joy* That makes me happy beyond belief; I mainly write them the way I do as a kinda break between chapters (and to provide some comic relief), so thanks so much for appreciating my effort! ^-^ Hey, a reviewer is a reviewer to me...whether it be anonymous or signed , I WILL respond! But I'm glad that you have a little more respect for me because I do this kind of thing... As for updating, I'm happy to say that now that I am on break (meaning NO SCHOOL! ^0^), I will be able to update MUCH quicker than I have been lately, so look forward to those updates! ^0^ *winces* I REALLY hope you get better soon so that you can get through all that school work...I wish you the best of luck from the bottom of my heart. ^-^ Thanks for the birthday wish to my buddy and for actually liking the fact that I have a social life! xD Please, GET BETTER SOON! *hugs* Thank you so much for liking my lemon-filled chapter and for reviewing in spite of your current health. It means the world to me! ^-^**

Matt-kun: ***dies of laughter at the mental image* Teehee, thanks so much for being willing to flame that thief for me! The way you said you were gonna do it gave me a good laugh, that's for sure. xD Oh my goodness, that really is something... *feels proud of herself for inducing such a reaction* I'm glad you liked the lemon that much! ;) Lmao at the mental image of how you would go all artsy on their butts! Thanks so much for your hilarious review and for liking my story so much! ^0^**

melianstorm: **Lolz, I blame myself more than you. Thanks for all of those well-wishes btw! ^-^ Grrr, I feel your pain (so thanks for being so understanding about my own xD)...I'm SOOO glad that I'm on winter break...I get a three week break before I have to do more work... -_- And nah, that didn't sound cheesy; I love writing those scenes and the emotions that go along with them just as much as you like reading them. ^0^ *adds confetti to the party* Lolz, I couldn't hold out any longer without possibly risking my life, so I finally decided to have Sebby tell Ciel straight out what his choice was. ^-^ *smirks* The bad boys are always the pretty ones... xD Yep, Satan is a pretty smart demon (hence why he rules Hell xD)...lolz, hooray! Grell is actually useful for a change! xD Oh dear...I'm glad you managed to come back to life again, even though you lost more blood... (aww, poor blood donation people... T_T) Yay! Take that OOCNESS! I'm so psyched to see that you thought I kept everybody IC again! *wipes brow in relief* ^-^ Yep, I've been working hard on my grammar and such, so I'm glad to see that you've noticed the change. ^0^ Gotta love my need to be a history geek, even in a M-rated BL story... xD Your first theory is definitely correct, so awesome job at getting that right! ^0^ As for the other 3 theories, you will find out as the arc progresses, so please stick around for that. ^-^ Thanks for the well-wishes! I wish the same for you as well! ^0^ Awwww, I can't wait to see that picture! Thanks so much! And don't worry, I won't let that thief affect me...in fact, I'm already over it, but thanks for your concern. Thankies a bunches for this review! ^0^**

chels15: **... you are so obsessed with Dexter...lolz, but idk since I don't watch the show...FIGURE IT OUT! xD**

SebaCieLuver: ***gasps* Never in a million years! This story will continue unless I die, I promise! ^-^ But seriously, school is a B****! I have NEVER had so much work before...hopefully next semester will be a little easier (it probably won't, but it never hurts to dream xD). Wow, you did that? Well, I'm happy to hear that you still liked the story the 2nd time around. Hopefully you won't have to reread the whole thing for awhile since my updates will be more frequent! ^-^ Thanks so much for the b-day wishes! Thank YOU for your review and for liking the chapter/lemon so much! I will update as soon as I can! ^-^ Teehee, and don't worry about being a perv...we all are. ;)**

HarmonizeInsanity: **Can I just say that your name reminds me of the song, "Butterflies Never Die"? I love that song a bunches! ^0^ Ahem, sorry about that...onto responding to your review. ^-^' Lolz, yet another awesome pun! I'm glad to see that you liked the lemon so much! ^-^ But wow, that's a wonderful thing to say. I'm really touched that you love my story that much. *shudders* Math...gah, just one more semester of that, and I won't have to do it anymore! xD I can see why you chose my story over math...lolz! Thanks so much for the review, and I will do my best to update ASAP! ^0^**

cira13: **Nice job! Lolz, you are a very thorough hunter, that's for sure! And yes, you are in fact correct! Awesome job; thanks for reviewing! ^0^**

You know who this is: ***raises eyebrow* Do I? xD Lolz, interesting word choice buddy! But I'm happy to see that you liked the lemon! Thanks for reviewing! ^-^**

Zozo-Chan: **Nice use of the word smut! xD I'm really glad that you liked what you read though! Thankies for reviewing! ^-^**

Rininlightblue: **Teehee, I can finally use my knowledge of the Japanese language! Sugoi! (not being studious FTW! xD)! ^0^ Welcome to my story! I'm happy to see that you like it a lot... *smirks* Especially the more "mature" scenes. ;) But wow, that's a very nice thing for you to say! It makes me happy that you think so highly of my fic that you sometimes think it's the real Kuroshitsuji. xD Awwww! Thank you so much for the birthday wish! It means a bunches to me! ^0^ I will continue it as soon as I have time (which I have plenty of since I'm FINALLY on break! xD)! Thanks so much for reviewing, my new reader! ^-^**

Silver Anonymous: **About that whole situation, you needn't worry. I will DEFINITELY continue to post on this site. My love for my readers easily surpasses my anger at the thief for stealing my chapter. ^-^ I'm really happy that you think so highly of my fic, and if I do move this story, I will definitely let you and all of my readers know. ^-^ Teehee, get an account whenever you can! It's really easy! Looking forward to hearing more from you! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on that ordeal! ^-^**

chels15: **Ah, buddy, how I love thee~! Lolz, I AM happy that you reviewed now...even though you are quite perverted sometimes (nice metaphor, btw)...I already told you that the length would've been WAY too long...plus, your perverted mind would've died. xD But thanks for reviewing buuuuuuuddy! ^0^**


	19. The Birthday

**J-C: *rings a hand-held bell* Happy Holidays everybody! ^0^ For those who celebrate Christmas (like myself), I hope you had a merry one! *throws snow into the air* I apologize for not updating on Friday, but me and my fail self didn't realize that it was Christmas Eve...**

**Naruto: Meaning that she was basically banned from using the computer on Friday and Saturday...**

**J-C: That's right! I had an awesome time with my family though, so it wasn't complete torture! ^-^ But, I still feel bad for not updating on time... T_T**

**~Sasuke~ Since when have you updated on time?**

**J-C: Ah, good point... ^-^' Ahem, anyway, I just wanted to take the time to thank my lovely readers for leaving me exactly 70 reviews! ^0^ It is very much appreciated (soon I will be close to accomplishing one of my major goals! ^0^), and it makes me really happy...and slightly apprehensive...**

**Naruto: Apprehensive?**

**J-C: *gulps* I fear that my readers will hate me after they read the latest chapter of One Hell of a Master.**

**Naruto: *clings onto Sasuke* Why? What happens?**

**~Sasuke~ *sighs* Dobe...**

**J-C: You'll just have to read to find out! ;) Just like my readers; so, since I've probably ignited a lot of curiosity in people, I'm just going to quickly go through the Disclaimer and Warnings so we can get Chapter 19 started! ^-^ The plot is in full swing in this one, everybody! ^0^**

**Disclaimer: After people read this chapter, I have a feeling that no one will want me to own Kuroshitsuji...good thing I don't! ^-^'**

**Warnings: EXPLICIT GORE AND VIOLENCE (I am not kidding, you guys...there is A LOT of blood and gore in here...it's worse than in Chapter 9. It made me squeamish to write it, and I felt sick when I reread it...so if you have a weak stomach, I suggest you don't read that part...), language (which isn't NEARLY as bad as the gore/violence...), LIME (sorry guys, no lemon this time...but it's a REALLY sour lime...it's ALMOST like a lemon...it's just...not...one... ^-^'), sexual situations/themes, and slight OOCness (I'm hoping there isn't, but it never hurts to be safe!).**

**Dedicated to: EtherealTryst (thanks for teaching me a new grammar rule!)**

**J-C: Also, thoughts lookey like this (**_I really hope I don't get flamed for this chapter..._**), conversational thoughts look like this (**'_Ah man, I'm so nervous about posting this chapter!_'**), private thoughts look like this (**[_I can't believe I wrote such a violent scene..._]**), regular dialogue and stuff looks like this (**But this has to be done for the overall plot of the story!**), sound FX look like this (CRUNCH!), scene/time changes look like this (XXX), emphasized words either look like this (Crap!) or like this (_Holy shizznit!_), and anything with extra information after it looks like this (**gore (1)**). Alrighty then, let's get this plot-filled chapter started! Hopefully, I will be alive to say this for Chapter 20: Happy reading everyone! ^-^**

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**Chapter 19: The Birthday**

**December 12****th****, 1888**

_What is a birthday?_

That is the question that stumped Ciel Phantomhive.

The boy could only stare blankly at the question as he tried to formulate an intelligent response. The young butler was currently taking a test to make sure he was actually learning things from Tanaka's lessons. Everything had been going wonderfully; Ciel was confident in his responses to questions ranging from the ancient Egyptians to properly polishing silverware.

But the final question on his test had the boy utterly lost and confused.

When the scratching sound of the feather pen on paper ceased, Tanaka's eyes slid to his pupil. Ciel had an irritated and slightly anxious look on his face as he continued to stare at his test. The old butler's eyes looked away from the boy's face to the question the child was stuck on. Tanaka felt his heart sink slightly.

_It appears as if he is not any closer to regaining his memory…_

Ciel released a sigh of defeat before he looked up at his tutor. "Tanaka, may I ask a question?" Ciel asked politely. The older gentleman was one of the few people the young Phantomhive actually had respect for, so talking courteously to him came naturally to the boy. Tanaka gently smiled at his student.

"As long as you are not asking for the answer to any of the test material, then certainly," the gray-haired man responded. Ciel tapped the end of the feather pen against the question as he looked back down at his test. To be honest, the boy was embarrassed to ask a question about something he was positive the majority of society knew the answer to.

_It is almost sad that I know how to divide polynomials, but I do not know what a birthday is…to me, it sounds like the day of someone's birth, but that seems __**much**__ too obvious…_

Just to be safe, the boy wrote down his thought as his answer for that question before passing his test to Tanaka. The older man accepted the test and immediately went into grading mode. As the man began marking on Ciel's assessment, the child decided to ask the question he couldn't ask earlier.

"Tanaka, why did you include a question about birthdays on that test? If my memory serves me, we never went over that subject matter," Ciel pointed out. The wiser man looked up from the piece of paper. He stared blankly at Ciel for a moment; Ciel thought the elder was undergoing a minor relapse due to his condition. Tanaka cocked his head to the side before smiling reassuringly at his apprentice.

"No need to worry about that question, Ciel. It was only extra credit," the gray-haired servant stated soothingly. Ciel blinked and opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off by the chiming clock. The child's eye began to prickle, signaling that it was time for him to perform his final "duty" of the evening. Tanaka glanced at the grandfather clock in the library before looking back at Ciel. "Now, you should go and attend to Master Michaelis. You do not want to keep him waiting," Tanaka commented innocently before winking. Ciel flushed slightly, embarrassed that his teacher knew what went on behind Sebastian's closed doors. Nodding, Ciel excused himself and exited the library.

Although he did so quietly, Ciel was greatly troubled. For starters, Tanaka never gave extra credit…

**Ever.**

Secondly, even if the question was only extra credit, it should have been a question that he could've easily answered. Ciel gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as he walked dutifully to his master's bedroom.

_Why couldn't I answer that question? It wasn't asking for details, specific dates, or even names of certain individuals… Does that question have something to do with the past I cannot remember? If so, that can only mean I am still not any closer to knowing about the life that led me to this demon's doorstep._

Anxiety settled in the pit of the child's stomach as that last thought crossed his mind. Even though he didn't show it, Ciel was constantly thinking about who he could've been when he was younger. But every time he tried to think past the first time he met Sebastian, he would get intense headaches that would cause him to feel physically sick. It felt like he was suffering a commotion from hitting a brick wall.

Literally.

_It is almost like someone is blocking my past from me. I thought it was Sebastian, but now that I've learned what his mental presence feels like, this brick wall around my past feels nothing like him. If that is the case, then who is preventing me from knowing about my past self? Why won't this person let me remember? Could there be something important hidden in my memories that affects more than just me? If that is the case, then I __**must**__ find a way to regain my lost memories._

A determined look formed on Ciel's face as he turned around a corner. He quickly walked down the hall leading to Sebastian's room, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was following him. Ciel wasn't sure why, but lately he had been feeling anxious whenever he walked through his master's manor by himself. It felt like someone was watching him, and whatever it was, it didn't make Ciel feel comfortable. He also found that whenever he was close to Sebastian, the feeling of being maliciously watched went away. Consequently, Ciel felt safe, which was quite ironic considering the nature of his master. That's why he had been trying to stay as close as possible to his master without giving away the fact that he was trying to stay close to the demon.

The prickling in his eye was starting to wear off; Sebastian was becoming aware of the boy's approaching presence. With that thought in mind, Ciel stopped thinking about such private matters.

Suddenly, a mind-numbing bolt of pain originating from his head ripped through his body. Ciel gasped and clutched at his head as the hall around him began to spin. Everything was blurring in and out and moving side to side, almost as if he was going to faint on a rocking ship. Ciel wobbled over to a wall to try and support himself; he felt like he was going to be sick. The surrounding air temperature drastically dropped, causing Ciel to shiver. Ciel's eyes widened in shock at the sight of his own breath before another violent shiver raced through his body. Creaking sounds, as if someone was taking calculating steps, sounded behind the child. Ciel slowly turned around to look over his shoulder, but all he could see was blackness. In fact, everything around him was slowly becoming black. It was becoming harder for Ciel to see where he was. Panic smothered confusion when Ciel felt the wall he was leaning on start to move inwards. With shaky steps, the child began to make his way towards his master's room. Ciel crashed to the ground when something knocked him over. A flutter of wings, shortly followed by an ear-piercing shriek, blasted through the air, causing Ciel to cry out in pain and cover his ears.

_What is going on? Why is there a bat in here? It's almost like I'm being attacked-, no…I __**am**__ being attacked._

Ciel reached into his suit jacket and cursed silently.

_Damn it, I don't have my hunting weapons with me. I need to get into Sebastian's room…quickly!_

Crawling now, Ciel shakily pulled himself towards his master's bedroom. He could barely see the door at the opposite end of the hall; it was quickly fading from view as the seconds raced past. A high-pitched laugh suddenly pierced through the blackness surrounding the boy, striking fear into Ciel's wildly beating heart. After the fear-inducing laugh, everything became silent, almost like all sound had been sucked from that section of the manor. But then, the sound of high heels clicking against the floor shattered the suffocating silence, making Ciel turn around to see who his assailant could possibly be.

Ciel's eyes widened in horror as his throat closed up; it almost felt like someone was choking him. He saw a swirling mass of **something** making its way in his direction as he desperately gasped for air. Ciel tried to turn away from whatever was coming at him to focus on his destination, but the invisible hands weren't relenting. In fact, they seemed to squeeze even tighter, making Ciel feel light-headed from the lack of oxygen. Near the bottom edge of the black fog, the child could make out spiked heels. His eyes traveled up the formless thing; cold fear clutched at his chest at what he saw. Where the creature's mouth was, glistening and sharply-pointed teeth were in the shape of a cruel smirk. That smirk slowly disappeared as the attacker got closer to its helpless victim. Ciel's mouth shakily opened at the same time that the monster's jaw unhinged, suggesting that it was going to swallow him whole.

"NOOO! SEBASTIAN!" Ciel screamed with the last bit of oxygen he had left before squeezing his eyes shut.

"Ciel? What are you doing on the floor, my pet?" Sebastian asked with confusion. Ciel was right outside of his door, curled up in a trembling ball. The demon had come to see what all the commotion had been about the minute he had heard his pet call out for him. Sebastian's eyes looked up and down the hall, trying to figure out what could've caused the boy to scream in such a way.

Ciel's head slowly untucked from the rest of his body as he looked up at his perplexed master. Breathing shallowly as he tried to regain control of his senses, the boy could only whimper feebly in response. The demon was instantly on the floor to attend to the child. Ciel's uncovered eye was wide and glassy; Sebastian could clearly see fear reflected in its depths. The demon moved to touch the panicked boy, but Ciel pushed him away. The boy covered his mouth and turned away before promptly vomiting all over the floor. The immortal, both worried and confused, could only watch as Ciel continued to violently retch.

"Ciel…"

"I'm…fine!" Ciel promptly gasped out. The boy continued to breathe unsteadily as he tried to calm his racing heart. When he was positive he wasn't going to faint, Ciel whirled around and clutched onto the other man. Sebastian silently looked down at his trembling butler as the child continued to cling to him. Anger was now the emotion prominent in the boy's shining eye.

"Wh-Why didn't you come sooner?" Ciel asked lowly, shivering as he remembered the feel of those invisible hands around his neck. Sebastian coolly analyzed the child before he sighed.

"I am not sure why you are behaving in such a manner…"

"I was attacked right outside your door! How could you not tell? What kind of hunter are you?" Ciel's voice got progressively louder until it was on the verge of being hysterical. Sebastian's eyes widened as Ciel took panicked breaths. The boy looked so scared; his eye was wide and red (due to the lack of tears developing), his face was deathly pale, his whole body was violently trembling, and his lips looked blue, almost like he had been severely oxygen-deprived. Sebastian's protective instincts went into overdrive. The demon pulled Ciel into his arms and tightly held the quaking child, trying to soothe the boy and bring him back into his normal mental state. Ciel struggled at first, thinking that Sebastian was trying to take advantage of him, but he eventually stopped when his master didn't do anything to suggest such actions.

Sebastian clenched his teeth as Ciel sniffled a few times. Something had attacked his butler **right** outside his door, and he hadn't sensed it at all! If Ciel hadn't cried out for him…

"I did not know, my pet. One moment, I felt your mental presence making its way towards my room. The next, you suddenly disappeared. I thought you had switched to private thoughts, so I did not think anything of it," Sebastian honestly explained. Ciel untucked his head from his master's chest to glare up at the supernatural being.

"Idiot… Don't just assume things like that!" Ciel scolded. Sebastian sighed with slight relief; the child was already starting to recover. Still, the entire situation troubled the demon. The raven-haired male's eyes roamed over his butler's slightly shaking body. He couldn't find any physical injuries, which could only mean that Ciel had been mentally attacked.

"My apologies," Sebastian stated sincerely. He gently picked Ciel up from the ground and securely held the boy in his arms. The minute Ciel felt his body leave the floor, he felt surrounded by warmth and safety. The child wrapped his arms around his master's neck and clung onto Sebastian. The demon was so shocked by Ciel's actions that he nearly dropped the traumatized preteen onto the ground. Of course, Sebastian was too perfect to do such a thing. Carrying Ciel bridal-style into his room, Sebastian couldn't help but to smirk.

_If this is the end result, perhaps my pet should get attacked more often._

**XXX**

Ciel woke up to find his master between his legs.

Yeah…it's as awkward as it sounds.

Ciel could only stare in sleep-induced shock at the demon whose eyes were intensely focused on his nether regions. The child's legs were currently propped up, leaving all of his intimate secrets open and exposed to Sebastian's roaming eyes. When the man moved to poke at his entrance, Ciel made his consciousness known.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?" Ciel yelled indignantly before promptly aiming a kick at the side of his master's head. Sebastian didn't even flinch as he easily caught his butler's kicking leg and continued with his examination.

"I am merely making sure that you were not raped last night by whatever attacked you," Sebastian responded seriously, his eyes not leaving the child's puckered entrance. Ciel sputtered for a moment before he was able to articulate a rebuttal.

"The only person I would've been raped by is you, idiot!" Ciel shouted. He wrenched his leg out of the demon's grip and promptly closed his legs. Just for extra coverage, the child put his hands over the area as well. Sebastian sighed at his pet's unnecessary modesty before moving away from Ciel's bottom. Ciel, whose face was hot with a blush, glared at the blank-faced immortal. Sebastian smirked as a thought crossed his mind.

"I'm sure you wouldn't have minded if I did such a thing considering your behavior last night," he said slyly. Ciel growled at the other man, but he couldn't negate his master's statement.

[_The only reason I clung to him willingly and didn't leave the room was because I did not want to be attacked again. I did not have my weapons on me, so I was merely utilizing my other options!_]

"Come now, you shouldn't scowl so early in the morning. Especially considering what day it is," Sebastian added. Ciel blinked before he moved into an upright position.

"Today's the 13th, correct?" Ciel asked slowly.

"Yes."

"…"

"…"

"Okay then…" Ciel added awkwardly when a silence developed between the two. Sebastian grabbed for the boy's hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it.

"You will see why today is so special in a few hours, my pet," Sebastian said before softly kissing the boy's forehead. Ciel felt heat spike through his body at the contact, causing him to freeze in place.

"Can't you just tell me now?" Ciel asked with slight irritation. Sebastian beamed at the annoyed servant before placing a finger on his own lips.

"Just know that in less than 24 hours, something wonderful is going to occur," Sebastian said mysteriously.

**XXX**

_Just know that in less than 24 hours, something wonderful is going to occur_…

That phrase kept replaying in the young Phantomhive's mind as he made his way to the kitchens. Thankfully, his demon master had waken him up on time, meaning that he was actually following his schedule for the day. He had already waken up the other servants, and he was going to meet with them to discuss their duties for the day.

_What could he possibly be talking about? It is such a vague phrase that there are several conclusions I can draw from it…_

Ciel jolted to a stop when a thought crossed his mind.

_Was Sebastian talking about…my birthday? Did he…remember it after all?_

Ciel could feel slight warmth settling on his cheeks at the thought that his master hadn't forgotten about his birthday.

The realization that he was happily blushing from such a thought caused the Phantomhive's blood to run cold.

_There's no way I'm actually happy that he remembered such a thing! Besides, I do not have any proof that he was referring to my birthday in the first place! And if he was, why would I be so happy about it? I don't even know what a birthday is!_

Determined to prove that he was **not** happy by the thought of Sebastian remembering his birthday was what drove the young boy to open the doors to the kitchen with vigor. The three servants jumped at the sound of the doors slamming open. Maylene adjusted her glasses when she saw the gloomy look on Ciel's face. All three adults could feel the dark aura surrounding the glaring butler.

Frightened but curious, Bard was the first one to speak up. "Well, you seem full of energy, Ciel," he commented gruffly. Ciel's eyes traveled to the American's face, causing the blonde man to freeze in fear.

"Ah! It must be because tomorrow is Ciel's birthday, right?" Finny piped in cheerfully. Ciel blinked, slightly confused by the gardener's conclusion.

"Why would I be full of energy because of that?" he asked stiffly. The red-haired servant tilted his head to the side as a blissfully innocent expression formed on his face.

"Because it's your birthday! Everyone is happy when it's their birthday!" Finny explained.

"They…are?" Ciel asked doubtfully. The bubbly gardener nodded happily. Maylene, noticing Ciel's confusion, decided to explain further.

"W-Well, it's a day to c-celebrate s-s-s-someone being born, and since i-it occurs only o-o-once a year, it only m-makes sense to be happy a-a-a-about it," the purple-haired maid stuttered out, still slightly frightened by the aura of the butler. Ciel looked at his fellow servants quizzically, his curiosity going into overdrive.

"People celebrate those kinds of days?" he asked with a cynical facial expression. Bard nodded as he reached in his back pocket for his pack of cigarettes. He picked one out and lit it. He moved from his position (which was leaning against one of the kitchen counters) and moved beside Ciel. He placed a friendly arm over the child's shoulder and leaned down so that his face was level with the butler's.

"You bet they do! And we are gonna make sure to celebrate yours, too," he whispered. Maylene made a squawking noise to try and shut up the loud cook.

"B-B-Bard! You weren't s-s-supposed to tell h-h-him!" she yelled while wildly flailing her arms. Finny moved to calm the flustered woman while brightly smiling at the cook and the butler.

"It's fine, Maylene! Ciel doesn't like surprises anyway. Right, Ciel?" Finny asked sweetly. Ciel was stunned; the servants were going to celebrate his birthday? The idea in and of itself sounded odd to the child. Then again, it could've been because the boy didn't have the slightest idea **how** people celebrated birthdays in the first place. Ciel shrugged Bard's arm off and gave a reprimanding look to the cook before focusing his attention on Maylene and Finny.

"Yes, I do not like surprises, Finnian. But, um, how exactly were you guys going to celebrate my birthday in the first place?" Ciel asked. He had cleverly thought of a way to ask his question while simultaneously covering up his ignorance of the topic.

Score for Team Phantomhive.

Maylene shot an accusing look in Bard's direction. The cook sighed before puffing on his cigarette. When the man removed the tobacco stick from his mouth, Ciel skillfully snatched it from his hand and promptly put it out with his foot. The American gave the child a sullen look, but Ciel's glare stopped the older man's complaint in his throat.

"Well, first, a cake would be made," Bard stated reluctantly. Ciel glanced in the other two's direction; they nodded in agreement.

"Oh! And then, you would get presents! Lots and lots of presents!" Finny suddenly chimed in. Feeling the excitement, Maylene couldn't resist adding her own personal input.

"Y-Yes! And you would t-t-take the day off! Just for that day!" she added breathlessly. The trio was suddenly excited by the thought of celebrating Ciel's birthday.

"How stupid," Ciel remarked tonelessly.

The excitement Maylene, Bard, and Finny had been feeling was instantly shattered.

Ciel crossed his arms over his chest and looked condescendingly at the adults. "My birthday is just like any other day. It would be stupid for me to take the day off and leave the manor in the hands of you three," Ciel said seriously. Maylene and Finny instantly began trying to change the boy's mind, but Ciel wasn't hearing any of it. Talking over the pair's complaints, Ciel monotonously reported the day's tasks.

Feeling dejected, Finny, Bard, and Maylene reluctantly went to complete the day's duties. It seemed as if the list of things they had to complete was longer than normal, but they were too depressed to really notice.

When Ciel heard the door to the kitchen swing shut, he released a sigh of relief. Running a gloved hand through his hair, Ciel looked around the empty room.

_Cake and presents, huh? Hmmm, if I need to get lots and lots of presents for everyone, I need to seriously think about what they could want. A cake shouldn't be too hard for me to come up with… It's really odd how this whole birthday thing works. Wouldn't it make more sense for them to make a cake for me and for me to receive presents? Ah well, if that's how people celebrate their birthdays, I guess I have to follow tradition._

With that thought in mind, Ciel quickly prepared Sebastian's morning meal, avoided molestation from said man, and made his way to his private area to think. The crisp morning air caused Ciel to sharply inhale. He had forgotten that winter was fast approaching; soon, he wouldn't be able to visit his secret area until spring. Shivering from the cold, Ciel wrapped his scarf tighter around his lower face. Hunched over, the chilled butler looked over his shoulder for any sign of the cheerful gardener. When Finny didn't show up, Ciel quickly made his way through the bushes. Seeing his little corner, Ciel couldn't help but feel relieved. It seemed that this place would always calm his fears.

To be honest, Ciel was still frightened from the attack last night. Whatever had attacked him wanted him dead, and the way the creature had gone about it made Ciel feel constantly anxious. He found that he was looking over his shoulder every few minutes, and the slightest sound would cause him to flinch and duck for cover. It truly angered him, how easily he was scared now. But he just couldn't help it; he hadn't even known that he could be mentally attacked!

But when he was with Sebastian, all of his worries and fears melted away. It was like he was finally being taken out of a dark place and into the light. Ciel blushed as he thought back on what had happened last night.

_We didn't have sexual relations, even though I was supposed to be acting as his pet. He just kept whispering to me…telling me insignificant things that had happened during the day, what should be added to his schedule tomorrow…__**normal**__ things. He didn't mention the attack, and he didn't pressure me to give myself to him. In fact, when he saw how uncomfortable I was, he simply went to get my nightclothes…_

Ciel's blush intensified as he sat down in his corner. He jerked slightly from the cold tile touching his butt, but he eventually relaxed enough to sit down comfortably.

…_but I wouldn't let him leave the room because I was clinging tightly to him. He didn't tease me about my behavior; he simply stripped his upper half and offered me his dress shirt as temporary sleepwear. My hands had been shaking so badly that he ended up undressing and redressing me. It had felt…odd having him do something servant-like. But he didn't even seem bothered by it. And when I had gotten settled…_

Ciel tried to cool off his face by fanning himself, but to no avail.

…_he kissed me. It was gentle and warm and soft and…oh! Um, I thought he was trying to take advantage of my unstable state…actually, now that I think about it, that bastard probably __**was **__trying to take advantage of me! But it turned out that he actually __**didn't**__ have any ulterior motives for a change. He simply whispered a soft 'good night', brushed his lips against mine, and held me until I fell asleep. He had been so warm, and he smelled so good… Ah! What am I doing, thinking of such embarrassing things so fondly? It's not like I actually __**enjoyed**__ how he treated me! Although…it was a nice change of pace… Still, there's __**no way**__ that Sebastian had acted so kindly with no reason whatsoever. There has to be __**something**__ up! A demon can't offer…comfort…_

Ciel's racing thoughts came to a halt as that final thought crossed his mind. Was it really possible that Ciel's demon master was trying to comfort him? But that contradicted all of the immortal's previous actions; Sebastian rarely showed sympathy or any sort of empathetic emotions when it came to Ciel being hurt. Several times, Ciel had been injured while on hunting expeditions with his master. The demon, of course, instantly killed whatever they were hunting, but he didn't so much as glance at his injured pet.

Ciel pinched the bridge of his nose; he was starting to get a headache from thinking about the reasons behind his master's actions.

_Enough! Right now, I need to focus on the presents I am going to give to everyone, not on my master's behavior! Let's see… I can't afford anything really expensive…and I can't travel to London either, considering that my birthday is tomorrow. I guess I'm going to have to make do with the items in the manor._

Ciel pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen from the folds of his overcoat. Sitting huddled up in his secret corner, the 12 year old boy began to think about what to give everyone in the manor. He seriously thought of each person's likes and dislikes before trying to figure out what materials he could use to make something the specific person would like. Eventually, this is what Ciel came up with:

For Bard, he would give him the two spare canisters of lighting fluid in the cellar and allow for the cook to use his flamethrower…so that he could burn the piles of dead leaves Finny had raked.

For Maylene, he would give her a cleaning kit for her glasses and shorter laces…so that she wouldn't keep tripping and dropping whatever she was holding in her hands.

For Finny, he would give him his spare working gloves and an empty barrel…so that he could tire himself out strength-wise and not break something valuable in the house.

For Tanaka, he would give him the spare bag of green tea leaves in the cellar and a larger drinking cup…so that he would stop spilling tea on the floor.

For Sebastian…

…he was stuck.

Ciel gritted his teeth in frustration as he tried to think of what the man could possibly like. He knew so little about his master that he was truly drawing a blank.

_The only thing I know he likes is…_

An image of Ciel crying out as his master took him from above flashed through Ciel's mind.

_ABSOLUTELY NOT._

There was no way that Ciel was going to **willingly** have sex with his master as his birthday present. It was too degrading and shameful!

_There has to be __**something**__ else that he likes…but what?_

"Meow!" a high-pitched call sounded. Ciel stiffened at the sound; the boy was highly allergic to cats. Even being a few feet away from them caused the butler to violently sneeze and for his eyes to get itchy and red.

Ciel **hated** cats.

A memory suddenly popped into Ciel's head. When he and Sebastian had first traveled to Hell together, Scarlet had said something about Sebastian **really **liking cats…which led to him wearing the cat nightgown…which then led to sex with his master…

No…way.

Ciel glared sullenly as a furry face wiggled its way through the bushes. "Hey, you! Don't think that just because the master of the manor likes cats that you can just wander around here with no repercussions," Ciel said in a threatening tone of voice. The black cat leaped from its position in the bushes to fully reveal itself. Ciel covered his nose and mouth in a vain attempt to stop his allergies from acting up. The cat's shining jade-green eyes were focused intently on the child.

It was almost as if…they were begging him.

"Ah, hell no…there **has** to be something better," Ciel mumbled moodily.

**XXX**

Sebastian leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Today had been particularly stressful; he had just gone through two grueling business meetings, signed dozens of orders and requests, and received the go-ahead from Satan to hunt the rogue demon. Sebastian had been positive that the assailant from last night had been the demon Scarlet had warned them about a few weeks ago. He had reported the incident to his employer, who quickly agreed. Now, Sebastian had to find the whereabouts of the rogue demon before she attacked again. To add to that, he hadn't been able to relieve the stresses of yesterday through sex because Ciel had been too traumatized by the mental attack.

To put it simply, Sebastian was **annoyed**.

Sex was the only way that the demon knew how to get rid of his daily stress; without it, he found it difficult to get through the day.

_Then again, I had been doing fine up until Ciel had arrived on my doorstep… Heh, I guess I've gotten myself into a sex routine again…_

The demon smirked at the thought before opening his eyes. It was starting to get dark in the quiet study, meaning that Tanaka would be coming out of his disease-induced state at any moment. It also meant that Ciel's birthday was only a few short hours away.

Sebastian looked around the study cautiously and heightened his senses. When he didn't see or hear anything beside Tanaka's "ho ho's" from the corner, he focused his attention on other matters. The immortal moved the chair a little further from the desk and reached into his suit jacket. He produced a small key and unlocked the top drawer of the desk. He opened it quietly, glancing at Tanaka to see if the man was paying attention to him. The old butler was still silently sipping his green tea. Sebastian's ruby-red eyes locked onto the small item placed on top of the several letters he had received from the Queen. Smiling softly, the demon gently grabbed for it before closing and relocking the drawer it had come from.

Staring at it for a few minutes, Sebastian allowed for his thoughts to drift to happier times. The item was precious to the centuries-old man, so he couldn't help but to guard it as securely as possible. Lost in his memories, Sebastian nearly reacted when he heard Tanaka speaking to him.

"That is quite lovely, my lord. Ciel will love it," the old butler commented sincerely. Sebastian smirked before placing the thing in his pants pocket.

"I would hope so, Tanaka," he said seriously. The gray-haired man moved to tidy up some things on Sebastian's desk. Occasionally, his eyes would focus on his master's thoughtful facial expression before they would go back to the papers the demon had left scattered across the desk. Sebastian, noticing his butler's actions, decided to comment.

"Is something bothering you, Tanaka? You seem a bit…distracted this evening," Sebastian stated. The old man paused in his straightening activities before standing completely upright.

"Forgive me, Master Michaelis. It just seems as if you are a tad less relaxed than you normally are during this time of evening. I was merely thinking of some way to relax you," Tanaka answered slowly. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at his loyal servant's statement before he smirked™.

"Sharp as ever, old man. Do not worry though; I have a plan for this evening that is sure to satisfy **all** participants," Sebastian remarked confidently. Tanaka nodded.

"I do not doubt your words, my lord. However, might I suggest a cup of herbal tea with a spike of brandy to relax you physically?" he asked politely. Sebastian mulled over his servant's request before he nodded.

"Do as you wish," he said dismissively. The elderly male smiled brightly before bowing and excusing himself. The minute the door closed, Sebastian reached into his pocket and twirled the item around between his fingers.

_Just a few more hours…_

**XXX**

Ciel panted with exhaustion as he rolled the barrel to a stop outside of Finny's room. The tuckered out Phantomhive had been collecting all of the gifts for his fellow servants as soon as he had finished dinner. It was a little hard for him to keep the barrel and the two lighting fluid canisters hidden from sight, but he had managed to do so.

Actually, it had been hard for Ciel to keep his birthday preparations a secret period. But somehow, he had come up with clever excuses and ideas to keep everyone in the dark.

Even when Bard suspiciously looked at the extravagant cake Ciel made, the boy skillfully stated that it was for a guest who was visiting the manor. Satisfied, the blonde man left the kitchen to search for his confiscated flamethrower, giving the child butler time to hide the cake in the cellar.

The young butler wiped his brow and grimaced at the sweat he collected. He had to report to tutoring now if he didn't want to make Tanaka suspicious. Quickly, Ciel looked over every meticulously wrapped package outside of each servant's door to make sure the right things had been given to the right person and that he hadn't forgotten anything. When his anxiety was slightly calmed by seeing everything in its right place, Ciel hurried to the library to meet with Tanaka.

For an odd reason, Ciel actually wanted his tutoring sessions to go by quickly. He usually dreaded being close to his master between the hours of midnight to two A.M., but tonight, he had a strong urge to stick close by his master's side. It felt almost like something bad was bound to happen if he didn't stay with Sebastian.

As he hurriedly walked through the corridors, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. Glancing over his shoulder every now and then, Ciel's heart rate picked up until it felt like it was going to beat right out of his chest. Walking even faster, Ciel began scanning the hall for anything he could use as a weapon in case he was physically attacked. He put mental walls around his mind so he couldn't be mentally attacked as well.

When Ciel arrived at the library, he quickly finger-combed his hair and straightened his outfit out. He didn't want Tanaka to think he had been doing something out of the ordinary. When his appearance was in order, Ciel opened the door and stepped into the library. Usually, the lounge area of the expansive book-holding room would be covered in different texts and materials, showing that many topics would be taught in the course of two hours. But tonight, the area was completely clean. On the table that was usually laden with books were two crystal glasses and a bottle of wine. Ciel's eyes widened at the items before they focused on Tanaka.

The old butler was contentedly smoking a pipe and smiling cheerfully at the stunned boy. "Come, Ciel. Have a seat in the chair opposite me," the senior requested. Ciel gave a quizzical look to his teacher before reluctantly doing so. A silence developed between the two before Tanaka decided to break it. "I decided not to tutor you tonight, considering how your birthday is only a couple of hours away," the old man explained. Ciel blinked.

"You didn't have to do that. Learning is more important than my birthday anyway," Ciel said seriously. The elder looked surprised for a moment before he chuckled.

"I figured you would say something so careless about your own birthday, considering your response to the extra credit question on the test last night," Tanaka said good-naturedly. Ciel stiffened slightly at his tutor's words. The old man took a long draw from the pipe before releasing the fumes back into the air. "No need to fret, Ciel. You technically got the question right. But," Tanaka placed his pipe on the table and reached for the bottle of red wine, "birthdays are about celebration and relaxation as well. And so, I wish to celebrate such a special day with a little something that I've kept hidden from the master for a few years," Tanaka said before winking.

"You really don't need to-"

"I **want** to, Ciel. You have been a wonderful student and apprentice, so I firmly believe that you deserve at least one night of relaxation," Tanaka stated in a no-nonsense tone. Ciel sighed before smiling tiredly at his teacher.

"I…guess one drink won't hurt…" Ciel said reluctantly. Perhaps the wine would help to calm the knots in his stomach. The gray-haired butler smiled happily before proceeding to open the bottle and pouring a healthy amount of wine for both of them. Ciel sniffed the air daintily; the wine smelled sweet. Ciel, who didn't like bitter things, couldn't resist reaching for his glass. He looked at his reflection in the dark red liquid for a moment. There was something about the wine…

_It reminds me of the color of Sebastian's eyes…_

Ciel flushed at his own thought; had he seriously just thought of the other man at such a time? To drown out his own inner sorrow at doing such a thing, Ciel took a large swig from his glass; consequently, he ended up choking on the fruity-tasting beverage. Tanaka, who had an idea of what caused Ciel to do such a careless thing, politely chuckled behind his hand. When Ciel was finally able to clear his airway, he shot Tanaka a glare that would've caused the bravest of men to cower in fear.

"I apologize, Ciel," Tanaka said in as serious of a tone as he could. Ciel huffed before moodily taking another sip from his glass. The boy wasn't really into alcoholic beverages, but this wine tasted better than the majority of wines he had before. Tanaka continued to fondly watch his apprentice as a comfortable silence formed between the two servants. Ciel ended up having a second glass of the fruity drink before he realized that it was slightly impairing his senses. The old man had barely touched his own glass; he was more content smoking his pipe.

Ciel's cheeks now had a permanent flush; it wasn't dark or anything, but it was definitely noticeable. Tanaka, seeing this, glanced at the clock. "Ciel, I do hope you are not intoxicated. Master Michaelis would be displeased if he knew that I had given you wine before you…visited him," the senior butler said carefully. Ciel shook his head and pushed his empty glass away from himself. He wasn't sure why, but he felt like the room was warmer than it normally was.

"I wouldn't be foolish enough to do such a thing," Ciel remarked with a hint of pride. Tanaka smiled kindly at his pupil.

"Then, I do believe that our 'tutoring' is done for this evening, Ciel. You should go to Master Michaelis now; I believe he is expecting you a little earlier than usual," Tanaka said. Ciel blinked, his heartbeat picking up a little at the thought.

"N-Now?" he stuttered uncertainly. Tanaka nodded before he "ho hoed".

"He said he had something special planned and wished for you to arrive a little before the midnight hour…which is fast approaching," Tanaka added. Ciel glanced at the clock; it read 11:30 P.M. By the time he arrived at his master's bedroom, it would be 11:40 P.M.

The child sighed; Sebastian's orders were absolute. Besides, he was a tad curious about what his master had specially planned. Ciel moved out of the chair and bowed respectfully to his teacher. "Thank you for the wine, Tanaka. It was delightful," Ciel said politely. Tanaka merely smiled and made a shooing motion. Ciel sighed again before turning to leave the library.

The minute the library doors closed behind him, Ciel felt his anxiety shoot to nearly unbearable levels. Now that it was later at night, it felt like whatever was watching him was going to attack again. Shuddering at the memory from last night, Ciel hurriedly made his way towards his master's room.

_As long as I keep my thoughts open, Sebastian will be able to detect if something is happening. I just hope I am not mentally attacked again…it is not an enjoyable experience. But I guess what is really bothering me is that whoever attacked me was able to do so without Sebastian even noticing. Perhaps it was a stronger demon? Or…maybe it was another supernatural being we have never hunted before?_

Ciel shuddered at the thought. If that was the case, then the creature would have abilities that neither Ciel nor Sebastian were familiar with. Ciel came to a sudden stop as a thought crossed his mind.

_Oh! I forgot Sebastian's gift! It's still in my room…_

Ciel pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time. Clicking his teeth, Ciel quickly turned in the opposite direction and dashed back to his room. The child butler threw the door open and quickly walked over to the wardrobe. He wrenched open the doors and reached for the carefully wrapped present. Grimacing, the child cradled the package in his arms and secured his room before walking back in the direction of his master's room. Luckily for the boy, he knew a shortcut, so he would arrive 10 minutes before midnight.

_I might be a tad later than Sebastian wanted, but he should be happy I am showing up at all…and with a gift too!_

Ciel took calming breaths as he neared the hallway where he had been attacked last night. He could tell that he was shaking because the present in his hands was rustling slightly. Irritated at his cowardice, Ciel forced himself to relax. The creature wouldn't be dumb enough to attack him twice in the same place.

_If whatever it is wants me dead, it will have to think of a different approach since I am now aware of mental attacks._

With that thought in mind, the child butler walked confidently down the long hall, ignoring the thudding of his heart. Ciel's heart began to beat faster for a completely different reason as he stood outside of his master's bedroom. He had arrived eight minutes before midnight, so he had technically followed Sebastian's request. The boy's mouth went dry as he began to think of what could possibly be behind the barrier in front of him. As long as it wasn't anything mentally scarring, the boy was sure he would be able to handle it. With that thought in mind, Ciel carefully shifted the gift into one hand and knocked politely on the door.

"My lord?" Ciel called politely. When he didn't hear any movement or sounds from behind the door, the boy's curiosity was sparked. Ciel reached for the doorknob and was surprised to find that the door was unlocked. The child sighed with irritation. "Honestly, don't ask for people to come early if you will not be there to receive them," Ciel hissed with annoyance before fully stepping into the room.

The sight that met his eyes nearly caused him to drop his gift on the ground.

Sebastian's room had been completely redecorated. In all corners of the room, red and blue candles were stacked in a decorative fashion. They were all lit, and the color from each candle mixed to give the room a purple hue. Ciel inhaled and was surprised by the slight whiff of lavender that drifted into his nose. On the bed, white rose petals were scattered around; Ciel looked down and gasped at the trail of beautiful petals leading to the bed. On the demon's nightstand, burning incense sticks were perched proudly in a large bowl. On the desk, Ciel could make out an open box of chocolates. Curious, the boy walked over to the desk and placed the gift on top of the piece of furniture. He hesitantly reached for one of the chocolate pieces and popped it into his mouth. Ciel released a small hum of pleasure as the caramel filling broke through the chocolate shell and coated his palate. The child grabbed for the gift again and turned around to view the room in its entirety once more. The overall atmosphere was one of romance and calm. Ciel walked towards the center of the room, entranced by the sights and smells around him.

_Could this be the surprise Sebastian was talking about?_

Heartbeat slightly picking up, Ciel moved even closer to the middle of the room. The flush from the alcohol in his system darkened as the boy thought about each item individually. Everything, from the color of the room to its scent, was exactly what Ciel liked; in other words, Sebastian had found out about his favorite things and put them all together in a way that naturally worked. Ciel was honestly stunned by that fact.

"Oh my, it appears as if you arrived a tad earlier than expected," Sebastian commented from the doorway. Ciel stiffened before quickly turning around to face his master. The demon was already dressed in his nightwear; a black robe with a red sash was covering the majority of it though. The boy cleared his throat and tried to calm the blush on his cheeks.

"Tanaka told me that you wished for me to arrive a few minutes before midnight. It appears as if you, however, doubted that I would come on time," Ciel added in an official tone. Sebastian smirked at his servant's behavior; the boy was clearly embarrassed by the sight of his room. To say the least, the demon was pleased by Ciel's reaction. But the present in the child's hands slightly confused the immortal. Ciel, noticing where the man's eyes were currently focused, walked up to the taller male and pushed it in his general direction.

"Here," he mumbled, the flush on his cheeks darkening to a pretty pink hue. Sebastian blinked, now completely lost.

"I always had my suspicions about your narci-"

"It's not for me!" Ciel cut in indignantly. Ciel huffed when the man continued to look at him with a baffled expression. The boy set the gift on the ground and hastily ripped open the wrapping. He flipped open the lid and scrunched up his nose in disgust when he reached into the box.

Sebastian nearly had a heart attack.

"Do you think I would get something like **this** for myself?" Ciel asked, clearly horrified at the thought. The child held Sebastian's gift as far away from his body as humanly possible…only said gift started writhing in his grasp. Ciel growled at the thing before he was abruptly cut off by a sneeze. "Damn it all! Why did you have to like something that I'm **highly** allergic to?" Ciel asked in an accusing tone of voice.

In the boy's outstretched hands was a black cat with pretty jade-green eyes. Around its neck was a dark red ribbon, tied in the back to form a neat little bow.

Sebastian…loved…cats.

Ciel watched as the man's facial expression morphed from one of confusion to extreme, yet composed, happiness. Ciel released another sneeze and resisted the urge to scratch at his uncovered eye. Ciel **really** hated that his master loved cats so much.

_Why couldn't he like something that was more practical and __**less**__ of a pain to take care of? _Ciel thought moodily. When Sebastian kept staring at the cat, Ciel decided to break the silence.

"Are you going to take your gift or not? And don't think that just because you have this one that you can keep a whole collection of them in your wardrobe again!" he snapped, mood souring from holding the allergy-causing animal. Sebastian, snapped out of his cat-loving trance, carefully took the black cat from the boy's hands and cradled it in his arms. The demon wiggled a finger in front of the animal's face and allowed for it to bite and bat at it. Sebastian, instead of being angered by the violence his finger was undergoing, merely smiled contentedly.

Ciel swore there was something mentally loose in his master's head.

When the boy sneezed again, cursing lowly, the immortal focused his attention on his servant. "Although I am appreciative of this gift, I am a tad confused why I am receiving one in the first place…" Sebastian trailed off at the look on the boy's face.

"It's for my birthday, of course! Don't tell me that demons don't know how humans celebrate their birthdays," Ciel said with a sneer. Sebastian blinked before looking down at the cat in his arms. The animal blinked at the pale man, making Sebastian want to embrace it in a loving hug. Why couldn't there be cute animals like cats in Hell?

"I thought I did, but perhaps you can enlighten me," Sebastian said politely. Ciel sighed before crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's simple, really. Because it's my birthday, I am supposed to make a cake and give gifts to everyone. I'm also supposed to take the day off, but I think fulfilling two out of the three requirements is fine," Ciel explained boredly.

Sebastian nearly dropped the cat he was holding in shock.

Ciel, noticing his master's stunned silence, instantly became suspicious. "What?" Sebastian began petting the cat's stomach as he tried to think of a tactful way to tell the prideful boy that he was wrong. The demon had learned the hard way that telling Ciel when he was incorrect about something was a delicate subject that had to be approached with extreme caution.

"It's just…I have never heard of birthdays being celebrated in such a way. Quite frankly, most birthdays are celebrated in a completely different way. Whoever's birthday is being observed usually receives gifts from others and a cake is made for that specific person. Then again, I find the whole tradition to be ridiculous anyway…who wants to celebrate approaching death?" Sebastian added thoughtfully.

Ciel was struck speechless.

It all suddenly made sense to the child. It seemed odd that the birthday person would be giving and making things for other people in the first place. That also explained why Tanaka was so insistent on giving him wine instead of it being the opposite way around. If the boy wasn't so prideful, he would've fell to his knees and dissolved into a fit of sobs. All of his hard work, from thinking and planning to gathering and wrapping everyone's gifts, had been for nothing!

Having to suffer through catching and actually **holding** a cat only made Ciel feel ten times worse.

The sound of the clock chiming the hour jerked Ciel from his pessimistic thoughts and feelings. Sebastian smirked before gently setting the cat on the ground.

"Right on time," the man said quietly before shooing the animal out and closing the door. Ciel blinked at the strange phrase.

"What's right on time?" he finally asked when Sebastian didn't say anything else. Sebastian smiled a true smile, causing Ciel's heart to thump. It was rare for the man to smile period, but when he **smiled**, the boy temporarily forgot he was a demon. The raven-haired male moved until he was standing in front of the boy.

"I'm glad that we cleared up that little misunderstanding. So now, I can do this…" Sebastian trailed off as he gently grabbed for the boy's hands. Ciel gasped when the man got down on one knee in front of him. His face instantly heated up as his whole body began trembling. Ciel was reminded of a part in a book he had read where the main character had did something similar to this...

[_There's no way… He couldn't possibly be…proposing to me, could he?_]

"M-Master…what are you d-doing?" Ciel stuttered breathlessly. His heart was racing and his breathing was getting shallower the longer his master remained in his current position. The demon smiled up at his flustered pet, resisting the urge to ravish his pet where he stood. Ciel clearly had no idea how tempting he looked at that moment. But the man needed to do this first; this was the most important part of his birthday present to the boy in the first place.

"Ciel, there are two things in the world that I hold dear to me. One of those things, however, is something that I can no longer hold onto. I feel that it does not rightfully belong to me anymore. I should have given this to you sooner, but I could never find the right time. But now, I believe this is the right time," Sebastian stated seriously. Ciel swallowed unsteadily before he did his best to calm himself down. From what he could understand, it didn't seem like Sebastian was proposing to him…of course, he wouldn't have accepted anyway!

"I have held onto it for a few years now because it was entrusted to me by someone I deeply cared for. But I firmly believe that you will be able to take care of it even better than I have. I hope that you accept this gift and cherish it as I have for the years it was in my care," Sebastian finished softly. He slowly slid his hands down the boy's own before he completely released Ciel's hands.

The boy gasped before his eyes locked with his master's. Perched proudly on his right thumb was a beautiful ring. The ring had a large, shining, dark blue stone set in the middle, instantly catching Ciel's eye. The band of the ring was made of silver, and it had intricately carved designs all over the band. The accessory was heavy; Ciel could easily feel its weight on his thumb after Sebastian had let go of his hands.

But it wasn't just the ring's beauty and weight that captured the boy's attention. It was the familiarity of it. The boy wasn't sure why, but it seemed as if he had seen this ring on someone else's finger before. It was someone he knew, that was for certain…but he couldn't remember exactly who it was! Regardless, Ciel didn't allow for his frustration at not remembering the mystery person to affect his mood. The boy was too…happy by the fact that Sebastian had entrusted such a beautiful item into his care.

"Are you…are you sure you want to give this to me? It seems precious to you based on what you just said," Ciel said carefully, trying to hide his emotions from his sharp master. Sebastian nodded firmly, and Ciel steeled himself. When it came to Sebastian, the boy found he could never actually express his thanks in words; he usually did something physical or changed his emotional aura to articulate his appreciation instead.

Still, it immensely embarrassed the boy to do so.

Ciel took a deep breath before he got down on his knees to be face to face with his smirking master. With a determined look on his face, Ciel bit his bottom lip before locking eyes with his master. "Then, I accept your gift, my lord," Ciel whispered before shyly kissing his master on the cheek. Sebastian froze at the motion before he wrapped his arms around the boy. Ciel slowly pulled away from the man's warm cheek to look at Sebastian in the eye. He was about to ask for the man to release him, but the look in his master's eyes stopped him cold.

Ciel's breath caught as the man pulled him into a passionate kiss. The teen's blush darkened to a cherry red as his body temperature rose drastically. Sebastian thought it was undeniably cute when the tips of the child's ears turned red. The boy trembled as the man gently parted his lips. The boy moaned and rested his hands on Sebastian's shoulders as the older male explored his mouth. The demon intertwined their tongues and sucked the boy's tongue into his own mouth, causing Ciel to gasp with surprise. Taking Ciel's gasps and little moans as go-ahead messages, Sebastian gently guided the boy onto his back.

Ciel began to resist when Sebastian's kiss started becoming more insistent. The boy finally was able to break away when the demon allowed for his human pet to take a breath. "Wh-What…are y-you…doing?" Ciel gasped out. Sebastian smirked before he nibbled at the boy's earlobe, causing the child to release a shocked cry.

"This is the second part of your birthday present from me. I am going to give you the greatest night of pleasure," Sebastian whispered hotly into his ear. Ciel froze at the man's explanation before he quickly shook his head.

"I-I…ah! I don't, oh! I don't want to do that! I-I-I…ahn! I want t-to, mmm! I want to make love!" he cried out. Sebastian froze in his ministrations at his pet's words. Ciel himself was shocked by his own words.

_Oh my…did I really just say that? What is wrong with me? It has to be the setting…it has to be! How could I say such an embarrassing thing? It must be the wine Tanaka gave me…it's messing with my head…_

"Ciel…is that what you truly want?" Sebastian asked slowly, mainly because he wanted to embarrass his cute pet more than for clarification purposes. Ciel flushed even redder before he covered his face with his hands; Sebastian's sharp eyes caught the boy's small nod. To say the least, Sebastian was baffled as to why his pet wanted to "make love" instead of experiencing a night of carnal pleasure.

_Humans are truly interesting creatures…but it is his birthday. I guess I can hold back a little to grant his request…_

Sebastian softly smiled before he gently, but firmly, pulled the boy's hands away from his face. Ciel didn't want to look at his master out of fear of his wish being rejected; he also was too embarrassed by how he voiced what he truly wanted.

"Alright then…let's make love," Sebastian agreed softly. Ciel's heart nearly popped out of his chest at the man's words. He locked eyes with the devil above him, trying to look for a hint of amusement or deception, but of course, he didn't find any. Swallowing nervously, Ciel steeled himself.

"I hope you aren't planning to make love to me on the floor," Ciel stated in a cool tone of voice. Sebastian chuckled before shaking his head.

"Of course not; such a special act should be done in an appropriate place," the demon leaned down and softly whispered into the boy's ear, "Allow for me to move you to the bed so that I may grant your request." Ciel felt like he was going to faint; the heat on his cheeks and coursing through his body was too much for his now-thirteen-year-old body to handle.

Sebastian smirked as he got off of the boy before leaning back down to pick the young teen up. He carried Ciel to his bed the same way he did last night: bridal-style. Ciel's heart was beating so loudly that he was sure his master could hear it. He wasn't sure why he was even more nervous this time than he was the first time they made love.

_Maybe it's because I know what to expect? Or…maybe because I asked for it?_

Sebastian chuckled at his pet's thoughts before gently laying the teen on the petal-covered bed. The sight that met the immortal's eyes was breath-taking to say the least. The white flowers perfectly accented his pet's pretty features: the flushed cheeks, the shimmering eye, the quivering lips, the dark hair splayed around his face, the porcelain skin…all was offered and his for the taking.

Sebastian felt like it was **his** birthday.

The supernatural being picked one of the white rose petals up and placed it against the boy's cheek as he removed the boy's eye patch. Ciel blinked and looked at his master with confusion.

"What are you doing?" he asked, perplexed. Sebastian smiled and shook his head.

"I was just thinking how the beauty of these flower petals pale in comparison to your own," the demon whispered tenderly. Ciel inhaled sharply at the statement before he growled at his master.

"Don't say such embarrassing things!" he reprimanded. Sebastian chuckled before gently kissing the boy on the cheek.

"Now, now…you asked for me to make love to you. You should know that making love encompasses sweet talking as well," Sebastian teased. Ciel huffed but soon forgot about his temporary irritation as the man began to slowly undress him. The nervousness at committing this act made itself known as the man placed butterfly kisses across his face and ears. Ciel didn't want to just lie there and do nothing, but he didn't know what he was supposed to do.

The only thing he knew how to do was…

The butler grabbed for his master's face and pulled him away from his ear. The two males stared at each other before Ciel leaned up a little to whisper into his master's ear.

"Kiss **me**, not my body…cat-obsessed idiot," Ciel added sardonically. Sebastian chuckled at the boy's attempt to cover up his neediness.

"Yes, at ahuvati," Sebastian responded. Ciel gaped at the other man; how could his master possibly insult him at a time like this?

"Hey! Don't insult m-" Ciel's angry statement was cut off by his master's amorous kiss. Ciel's eyes lidded at the feel of the demon's lips molding with his own. To be honest, Ciel preferred being kissed by Sebastian rather than having sex with the man. It was kind of surprising, considering the fact that Ciel wasn't a big fan of intimate things. But when Sebastian kissed him, the boy felt like he wasn't just an instrument for his master's lust.

Ciel felt like he was something precious and cherished.

Breathing through his nose, Ciel willingly opened his mouth when his master's tongue ran over his bottom lip. Ciel decided to be a little more daring and moved to tangle their tongues together. Sebastian growled at Ciel's playfulness and possessively gripped Ciel's raised thigh. The boy moaned into the kiss as the man rubbed the sensitive area through the material of his pants. Heat from all over his body began to pool in one area, causing Ciel to internally panic. He wanted to make love with his master for as long as possible so that he wouldn't have to be alone tonight. If he was getting turned on so easily, there was no way he would last past his scheduled sex pet time!

Ciel's troubled thoughts were put to rest when his hooded eyes focused on the ring his master just gave him. The boy just couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from the beautiful thing; it was as if there was a supernatural attraction between the accessory and the butler. Sebastian finally broke the kiss when he felt that Ciel was having difficulty breathing. A single strand of saliva connected the two males as Ciel gasped and panted harshly underneath his demon master. Sebastian smirked and licked at the boy's lip, breaking the saliva strand. Ciel shuddered at the feeling, causing the demon to chuckle.

Ciel watched in a slight daze as his master got back to undressing him. The man worked on loosening and removing his tie before unbuttoning his suit jacket. "U-Unfair…" Ciel mumbled grumpily, attracting the demon's attention. Ciel beckoned for his master to come closer, which Sebastian did with slight curiosity. He had tasted the alcohol in Ciel's saliva when they had kissed, so he knew that the child's judgment was slightly impaired.

_That probably explains his…interesting behavior this evening._

Ciel shyly looked up at the male as he pulled at the sash on the demon's bathrobe. Sebastian smirked as the boy slipped the robe off of his frame before he worked on the buttons to Sebastian's pajama top. To keep his master entertained, Ciel wrapped his legs around his master's waist and grinded his lower half into the other man. Sebastian groaned appreciatively before he focused on getting his butler undressed again.

The immortal licked up the side of the boy's exposed neck as he tugged the boy's dress shirt off of his body, revealing his torso and slender arms. Ciel didn't so much as shiver, even though Sebastian's room was cold. He felt so hot, and he definitely wasn't getting cooler. Every touch from his master's fleeting fingertips made Ciel pant, and the feel of grinding against his master's erection caused singing heat to course through his underdeveloped body. Sebastian smirked as a thought popped into his head.

"My…you seem quite…eager tonight," Sebastian commented slyly. The man grunted when Ciel grinded even harder into his member. The boy swallowed as he tried to form an intelligent response to his master's observation.

"Sh-Shut up! Ahn! Oh my…nnn! I-I-I feel so hot…I feel like I'm, aha! I feel l-l-like I will, mmm, melt if y-you don't, AH! Take me!" Ciel cried out as he felt the beginning of the familiar knot in his stomach.

Sebastian really needed to get Ciel to drink wine more often.

Ciel cursed when he realized what he had just said. _Can I __**be**__ any more desperate?_ he thought with despair. Sebastian, however, enjoyed Ciel's little speech. He wanted to make Ciel say even lewder things. The demon held down the boy's hips, much to Ciel's dismay, and distracted the boy with a kiss while he removed the teen's pants. Sebastian could clearly smell his butler's arousal when he stripped the boy of his underwear as well. Ciel closed his legs when he saw the man staring intently at his member.

"No need to be modest. You have a lovely body, Ciel," Sebastian said huskily before flattening his tongue against one of the boy's nipples. Ciel covered his mouth to stop the high-pitched keen from escaping his lips. Sebastian smirked before pulling away from the sensitive area. "Your body reacts so honestly and **lewdly** to my touch," the demon added lustfully. Sebastian blinked when his fingers brushed over the boy's entrance. Ciel whined and bucked into his master's hand, causing the tip of one Sebastian's gloved digits to go into the puckered hole.

Sebastian's smirk widened as he removed the tip of his finger from Ciel's entrance. He teasingly removed the white gloves with his teeth, taking silent delight in Ciel's obvious want for those fingers to be inside of him already. In all honesty, Ciel didn't even **need** to be prepared tonight. When Sebastian had brushed over the boy's hole, it had already softened and a copious amount of fluid was leaking from it. The demon leaned down to whisper into his servant's ear, "My, my, it seems as if you are **very** impatient tonight. You asked for me to make love to you, and it seems as if the very idea has greatly excited you. Take a look at this," Ciel watched dazedly as Sebastian easily slid a finger into his wet entrance; Ciel didn't even feel it go in. The demon removed the digit and licked at the clear fluid that coated it. The boy flushed at the motion. "I wonder if I could make you cum just from playing with your butt. Shall we experiment and find out?" Sebastian asked with amusement.

Ciel didn't even have time to argue.

Sebastian lifted the boy's legs so that his twitching hole was proudly on display. Ciel gasped and tried to put his legs down; it was embarrassing to show such a shameful thing to the man he was making love with. Sebastian kissed one of the boy's raised thighs before smiling at Ciel from between his legs. "Don't worry, my pet. You have nothing to be ashamed of," Sebastian said honestly. Before Ciel could respond, Sebastian proceeded to molest his most intimate of secrets. The thirteen-year-old writhed and cried out without abandon as the man licked and prodded at the sensitive area.

"A-Ah, nooooo! S-S-Sebastian!" Ciel squealed. "I-I-I-I caaaaan't, aha! I d-d-don't want, mmm! I don't want…oh, oh, ooooooh! I don't want to c-c-cum! Aaaah!" Ciel released a high-pitched shriek when one of Sebastian's prodding fingers pushed against his prostate. The demon made a come-hither motion, making Ciel feel like he was going to melt in any second.

"P-Please…I n-n-need you, Seb-AH! SEBASTIAN!" Ciel cried out desperately. The boy didn't even care how shameful he looked or sounded at that moment. The pulsing heat from his entrance was too much for the teen to handle anymore. His body **ached** for Sebastian to fill him already.

The demon licked his lips before pulling away from the boy's hole. The reddened area was even wetter and softer than it was before Sebastian had touched it; to say the least, Sebastian was pleased with his work. Smirking, the man positioned himself over the boy and whispered into Ciel's ear.

"What do you need, Ciel?"

Ciel didn't even hesitate, his natural bossiness starting to take over again. "Y-You," he panted out with conviction. Sebastian smirked and kissed the flushed Phantomhive before moving to unzip his pants. Ciel's hands went up to wrap around his master's neck while he opened his legs to accommodate his master. He knew what was about to happen to him. For once, he was perfectly ready and willing.

**KNOCK! KNOCK!**

Both males ignored the sound of someone sharply rapping on the door. When Sebastian sensed that the person wasn't going to leave, he broke the heated kiss and sighed.

"Yes?" he called out politely. Ciel blinked with confusion; no one had interrupted Sebastian's pet time before.

"Pardon the interruption, my lord," Tanaka's voice answered respectfully. Ciel and Sebastian looked at each other before focusing their attention on the closed door. "I know that you are…busy at the moment, but there is someone here to see you. He says he has an urgent message for you," Tanaka stated dutifully. Sebastian growled lowly; for the first time **ever**, Ciel **wanted** to have sex with him. And now this unannounced visitor just **had** to come.

"Can't you receive the message in my place?" Sebastian asked in a composed tone of voice. Sebastian's ears perked up when he heard a small whine from below him. The demon looked down to see Ciel gazing up at him with a wanton expression. Sebastian felt his member twitch at the face his pet was making.

"I'm afraid not. The visitor wants to see you personally," Tanaka responded. Sebastian silently cursed.

"Can't this wait until tomorrow morning?" Sebastian pressed, trying to think of a way to actually relieve himself tonight. Ciel's eyes widened; was his master seriously going to leave him alone?

[_I can't let him leave…I have to stay by his side tonight. I can't guarantee my safety or calm my fears if I am not with him… Of course, I don't __**need**__ him or anything. I'm just using him for extra security._]

Ciel licked his lips and moaned softly as he rocked into his master's erection. He was running out of options, so he was going for a more direct approach. Sebastian growled; he wrapped his arms around the boy and held him close to his body to stop Ciel from moving for a bit. The teen squirmed in his master's hold, still trying to think of a way to make Sebastian stay.

"I feel it is in your best interest to meet with him immediately, sir," Tanaka said seriously. Sebastian sighed; it was clear that his demonic luck was not working in his favor tonight.

"Alright…just give me a moment, Tanaka," Sebastian said in a defeated tone. Ciel felt his heart sink when the man released him and gently set him back down on the bed. The boy sat up and dejectedly twirled the ring around his thumb. Ciel could only watch, doing his best to hide his fear and anxiety, as the one person he felt the safest with prepared to leave him behind. Sebastian, noticing Ciel's facial expression, paused in his dressing activities.

"Ciel?" he asked with a hint of worry. Ciel snapped out of his fear-ridden trance and put on a mask of cool indifference.

"It's nothing. You should ready yourself to meet with this guest, my lord," Ciel said in a business tone of voice. The demon blinked at the boy's sudden attitude change, but he decided not to press the child. He was slightly curious about what the visitor could have to tell him at such a late hour anyway. Ciel sighed before moving to redress himself as well. It was clear that Ciel would be sleeping alone tonight, even though he dreaded doing so.

When Ciel had tied the strings of his eye patch and fixed his hair, he moved to straighten Sebastian's clothing out. The demon silently analyzed his pet's movements as the boy pulled and adjusted his jacket and tie. It wouldn't be noticeable to a human's eyes, but Sebastian could see that Ciel's hands were shaking. The demon was confused as to why the boy could've been shaking; he had silently ordered the child's body to calm down, so it wasn't because he had been denied bodily release. Sebastian mulled over the reasons behind why his pet was shaking as the boy continued to fix his appearance.

When Ciel was satisfied, he stepped away from his immortal master, even though he wanted nothing more than to cling onto him and never let go. The child had never felt so fearful in his life; what scared him the most was that he couldn't tell Sebastian how afraid he was because he didn't want for Sebastian to doubt his mental state. No matter how many times Ciel tried to convince himself that he was getting worked up over nothing, the child just couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was going to happen tonight.

Sebastian glanced at his reflection in the mirror and caught a glimpse of Ciel's face. It looked like the child was experiencing great inner turmoil. If the demon didn't know any better, he would've thought Ciel was about to cry. When the demon looked down at the boy, Ciel's face was like a blank slate.

"You know," Sebastian said, breaking the silence. Ciel stiffened when the man cupped the side of his face with one hand, "the blue stone in that ring is the exact same color as your eyes. It matches you perfectly, Ciel," Sebastian finished softly. Ciel blinked, already used to the feeling of the ring on his finger. The child glanced down at his birthday gift before looking back up at Sebastian. The boy clicked his teeth and brushed the man's hand off of his face.

"Don't compare such things… You need to go and meet with the stranger now, my lord. Whatever he or she has to say must be important," Ciel urged seriously. Sebastian sighed before nodding.

The demon opened the bedroom door and allowed for the boy to pass through before him. Ciel did so, and Sebastian killed the flames in all of the candles before closing the door. Tanaka was waiting patiently for the pair; he smiled gently at Ciel before focusing his attention on the demon.

"Come, Master. You mustn't keep guests waiting," Tanaka scolded gently before turning to lead his master to the visitor. Sebastian moved to follow the man, and Ciel swallowed unsteadily before looking down at the ground. The demon paused as a thought popped into his head.

"Ciel," he called, trying to attract the boy's attention. Said boy raised his head to find his demon master standing right in front of him. The man smiled a genuine smile before wrapping one arm around the thirteen year old's waist and resting his other hand on the boy's cheek. Ciel flushed bright red when the man leaned down and tenderly kissed him. Ciel felt like he was floating on a cloud of relief and comfort as the man gently manipulated his lips. The teen fisted the material of his master's coat and willingly participated in the gentle kiss. Oh, how he wished for this kiss to last forever. He didn't care that Tanaka was probably looking at them with hidden disgust; he felt so safe being held romantically in his master's arms. He never wanted Sebastian to let him go.

Sadly, the kiss didn't last as long as Ciel secretly wanted it to. The demon pulled away and pressed a chaste kiss to the boy's forehead before he positioned his lips by the teen's red-tipped ear.

"Happy Birthday, Ciel," he whispered sincerely. Ciel felt a sharp stinging sensation in his eyes at the softly spoken words. Sebastian continued to hold his butler; for an odd reason, he felt that once he let Ciel go, things were never going to be the same.

"Master Michaelis?" Tanaka called from the opposite end of the corridor. Sebastian sighed before releasing Ciel from his hold.

"Coming, Tanaka," Sebastian called over his shoulder. The demon turned around one last time to look at Ciel before he followed behind the elderly butler.

Ciel could only watch as his feeling of safety left him floating in a sea of anxiety and fear.

**XXX**

Ciel released a sigh of relief as he leaned back against the door to close it. Thankfully, he had walked from Sebastian's room back to his own without incident. The boy had been on high alert the whole time; the smallest sound had him grabbing for any item that could be used as a weapon. Ciel had noticed that the feeling of being watched had completely disappeared after he had departed from his master's bedroom. The teen raised a finger to his lips as he thought back on the gentle birthday kiss his master gave him before going to meet with the strange visitor. He blushed slightly at the memory and at the thoughts that had run through his head.

_Of course I don't wish to be held in his arms forever! What was I thinking? I must have been more intoxicated than I thought…or perhaps it was the fear that was driving me insane with anxiety and worry… But I can't lie; I am relieved that I don't feel like something is maliciously watching me anymore. Perhaps my master's kiss has some sort of power that drove the creature away?_

Ciel chuckled at his own thought as the door clicked shut. "How foolish of me; I was probably worrying about nothing in the first place. I really must stop being affected by my instincts like that," Ciel said dryly.

"Oooh?"

Ciel gasped when a long-nailed hand wrapped around his neck from behind.

"Humans really should listen to their instincts; they are put in place for a reason…usually to protect your race from," the supernatural being leaned close until its lips were resting on Ciel's ear, "**danger**," it breathed out in a voice dripping with poison.

Whatever was holding the child was doing just that; the force of the stranger's hold wasn't enough to cut off the boy's air supply. The butler froze in shock and pure fear. He hadn't sensed this creature at all! His assailant must have been hiding in the shadows of his room, waiting for the boy to return. The teen blinked as a thought crossed his mind; the being's eyes that were intently focused on his stiff body felt exactly the same as whatever had been maliciously watching him for the past few days. Ciel's eyes migrated to the bed before he silently cursed; his hunting weapons were under his pillow. Even if he escaped from his attacker's hold, there was no way he would be able to reach and shoot his gun in time.

_Remain calm, Ciel. This person might not be here to kill you…although that is probably my attacker's goal. I just need to stall for time while I think of a way to get out of this situation…_

"That may be true, but you must not be that dangerous if my instincts didn't tell me to leave the room," Ciel remarked in a cool tone of voice. The creature snarled before slightly tightening its grip on the servant's neck.

"You really should watch your mouth, **human** hunter. Especially when addressing a Pureblood demon like me," the demon growled with a hint of pride. Ciel blinked as he was reminded of when he was attacked by Father Gregory; this demon spoke in the exact same way.

_It can't be…!_

"Father Gregory?" Ciel whispered, stunned by the thought. The Pureblood chuckled before shaking its head.

"No, but I am closely related to that wonderful demon. Ever heard of mates, boy?" the clearly female demon purred. Ciel's eyes widened as Sly's words replayed in his head.

_This is Father Gregory's mate? Well, it's shocking to even think that a demon like __**him**__ would have a mate…but that is not the issue here. Mates are known to kill hunters, which can only mean that she is here for one reason. But this doesn't make any sense; why isn't she attacking Sebastian instead of me? I'm just his hunting __**partner**__; technically, I wasn't even hunting Father Gregory to begin with._

"Actually, I have. Ever heard of Satan, mate?" Ciel said with a sneer. He inhaled sharply when the female's hand squeezed his neck a little tighter; it was starting to become difficult for the Phantomhive to breathe.

"Don't mock me, boy. I can snap your neck with a flick of my wrist," she said in a warning tone of voice. Ciel chuckled, causing the demon to blink in surprise. "What humors you, human?" she asked. Ciel ceased chuckling and took in as much oxygen as he could before speaking.

"If you…are so hurt by the loss…of your mate, then you…should be attacking Satan…instead. She…is the one who…gives out the orders…to Hunters like…my master to hunt…demons and other…beings, like your…mate. My master…and I only hunted your mate because…she ordered us to," Ciel struggled to say. He was starting to feel slightly light-headed from not taking in enough oxygen, but he wasn't finished just yet. "You must be too **cowardly**…to attack the strongest…demon in the world for the…hunting of your mate. You are…only attacking a lowly human…like myself because you yourself are…too **frightened **to do such a…thing. Am I correct?" Ciel finished with a smirk.

Father Gregory's mate released a short, high-pitched giggle. Ciel was confused by the female demon's reaction to his statement. The Pureblood abruptly cut off her giggle to sniff at the boy's neck. Ciel shuddered when the woman licked the side of his face. "Well, aren't you just an **arrogant** little human? I can see why your Semihominis master has claimed you as his lover," she remarked with a hint of approval. Ciel blinked at the way the female worded his and Sebastian's relationship.

"I…am not his…lover," Ciel ground out, honestly taken aback by his attacker's assumption. The woman's attitude completely changed as she harshly bit the boy's earlobe. Ciel gasped before biting his lip to stop his cry of pain. The demon's pointed teeth easily cut through Ciel's tender skin. He could feel the blood dripping from the ripped lobe; the demon licked at the warm liquid before humming gleefully. "No need to lie, boy. I can taste your master's mark on you all the way to your life source. You have such a wonderfully **tainted** store of blood," the woman giggled before whispering softly in the teen's ear, "and your **voice** isn't half-bad. I am going to enjoy both things as they flow freely from your tiny body," she said before running the tip of one of her fingers across the boy's throat, making a slitting motion. Ciel's eyes widened as his heart thumped loudly.

"Just like that, I will tear apart not only your skin, but your master's happiness as well. He will soon suffer the same pain I felt when my lover was cruelly taken from me by you and your master. Because of you two, Gregarious will have to forever suffer under Satan's control, and I will never be able to see him again," the woman choked out the last few sentences as she was overcome with grief. Ciel felt no pity at the thought that the demon might cry for the loss of her mate.

_Sebastian and I were only following orders. She has the wrong idea anyway! I am not Sebastian's lover…I am just his butler and sex pet! She must be insane or something…what exactly was she talking about when she said Sebastian left his mark all the way to my very life source? Regardless, I can't allow for her to kill me…but there's no way I can escape her grasp, no matter what I think of!_

Panic began to course through the boy's body when he felt the woman regain control of her emotions. Ciel struggled valiantly, causing the female to squeeze his neck even tighter; her hold still wasn't tight enough to cut off all of his air…or his voice. She giggled again before whispering in the fighting child's ear, "Or you could just give yourself willingly to me. What do you say?"

'SEBASTIAN!' Ciel mentally screamed for his master.

When Ciel's silence and his insistent struggling were the woman's responses, she smirked evilly.

"Wrong answer," she said darkly.

**XXX**

'SEBASTIAN!'

Sebastian's head jerked up when his mind was suddenly assaulted by his pet's screaming mental voice. The demon had just finished meeting with the visitor, who turned out to be Sly delivering a message from the Queen. The blue-haired demon had insisted on having a chat with his "best friend", so Sebastian had been forced by Tanaka to stay and talk with the Queen's servant.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

A panicked and pain-filled scream shortly followed the mental cry, shocking both Sebastian and Tanaka. The demon winced when his contracted hand instantly began to burn. The demon quickly ripped off his glove. Horrified, Sebastian watched as the contracted symbol began to bleed. A bleeding contract symbol only meant one thing...

…Ciel was dying.

"Ciel…" Sebastian said in a stunned tone of voice. Tanaka glanced worriedly at his master's bleeding hand before looking up at the stunned demon. The old man opened his mouth to say something, but his master was too quick for him.

Without a backward glance, Sebastian sprinted at his fastest speed to Ciel's bedroom. His stomach turned when he smelled the sharp, metallic scent of freshly spilled blood. The closer the demon got to his pet's bedroom, the stronger and more defined the scent became. Ciel's blood was still gushing from his body, Sebastian could tell. Sebastian growled viciously, feeling his demonic instincts starting to take over. The demon could faintly hear what sounded like ripping and gnawing sounds, signaling that something was being taken and probably devoured. His eyes instantly reverted to their demonic state at the thought of some **thing** eating his pet.

Sebastian reached Ciel's room in two and a half seconds. The usually polite immortal didn't even bother to knock on the door; judging by the quickly fading contract symbol on his hand, there was no time for him to be courteous. His nose was assaulted with the scent of blood and other bodily fluids while his eardrums pounded from the sound of animalistic snarls and feeble whimpers.

**CRACK!**

Suddenly, a sickening cracking sound split through the air, shortly followed by a triumphant cackle. Sebastian could barely sense his pet's mental presence. With next to no force, Sebastian kicked down the door to Ciel's room and dashed in.

The site that met the demon's eyes would forever be etched in the back of his mind.

Lying in a pool of his own blood was Ciel Phantomhive. The precious pool was growing larger by the millisecond as blood continued to gush from the boy's unconscious body. Ciel's face was deathly white, and his lips were so pale that they almost matched his skin color. Blood bubbled and ran from the corners of his servant's white lips. His hair and clothing were matted with blood and bits of bone; Sebastian instantly saw where the bone pieces had come from. Where the boy's throat was, there was a gaping hole. The hole was ragged around the edges, clearly explaining where the gnawing and ripping sounds had originated from. Blood spurted from the opening in Ciel's body; it was the only area where most of the damage had been caused. The demon's eyes widened when he realized that something valuable was missing from Ciel's throat.

Sebastian looked up to see Father Gregory's mate standing proudly over Ciel's damaged body. In her hand, a bloody, misshapen lump of muscle, cartilage, and bone was held. Sebastian glared at the proud Pureblood as she licked at the bloody piece of Ciel's body. A thoughtful expression formed on the female's face before she smiled sweetly at Sebastian. The raven-haired man could only watch as she calmly slit near the top of her throat. Blood dripped and spurted from the cut; it began to gush when she reached a hand inside of the hole. Cracking and crunching sounds filled the air as the demon continued to dig around inside of her neck. With a final crunch, she smiled brightly before ripping out an identical lump of muscle, cartilage, and bone. The only difference between the two lumps was that one was a little smaller than the other. The woman silently laughed before crushing the unidentifiable thing. She licked at her blood- and bone-covered hand as her eyes glowed demonically.

Sebastian was truly disgusted and at a loss for words at what the woman did next. With a smile full of pure joy, she placed the smaller lump into the hole in her throat. She winced as she wiggled her hand around inside.

**CLICK!**

A sharp clicking sound assaulted the air, like two pieces of bone were being firmly attached. The woman inhaled before licking the pad of her index finger. She ran the saliva-covered pad over the wound in her neck; the cut instantly healed. She smiled before giggling. Sebastian's eyes widened, horrified, when he realized what the woman had done.

Father Gregory's mate…had stolen Ciel's voice box (1). Sebastian could barely believe his ears as he listened to the female laugh and speak using Ciel's voice.

"Come now, Sebastian Michaelis. It's time for you to make a choice. I know how **badly** you want to kill me right now…but your lover is quickly slipping away. Whatever will you do?" the woman stated before sneering at Sebastian.

"Will you kill me or save your lover?" she said before bursting into a fit of maniacal laughter.

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(1): **Okay, the human voice box is actually NOT a box (I feel really dumb because I actually thought that... xD). The human voice box (the medical term is the larynx) is located at the top of the windpipe; place your hand under your jaw and close to your neck, then hum. You will feel something vibrating; that's your voice box! Now, the voice box varies in size, which is one of the reasons why we have different voices (the other reasons are because of how we move our lips and tongues). The larger the voicebox, the deeper the voice, which is why men have larger voice boxes than females. This is also why our voices change as we grow older (the voice box is constantly growing until we reach adulthood). When we breathe, air just passes through the larynx; in order for a sound to be produced, the vocal cords (which are actually muscle fibers located in the larynx) have to vibrate. The pitch of our voices is determined by how we stretch the vocal cords; this is unconsciously done since it is learned at birth. So that's why when we hum, sing, or talk, we produce sound! ^-^**

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**J-C: *looks nervously at Sasuke and Naruto* Sasuke...why are you holding a kunai?**

~Sasuke~ To protect myself from...HER.

**Naruto: *sniffles* WHY J-C? WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO CIEL? *clings onto Sasuke***

~Sasuke~ And to make it worse, you ended the chapter with a cliffhanger... *sharpens kunai* Do you really want to die that badly?

J-C: AH, NO! *goes to hide behind a Christmas tree* Okay, my readers, I'm sorry for ending with a cliffhanger, but the chapter was getting a little on the long side, and it seemed like the best place to stop! *ducks as a kunai whizzes above her head* NARUTO, CONTROL YOUR BOYFRIEND!

**Naruto: *sobbing uncontrollably while clinging onto Sasuke***

******J-C: *sighs* Well, it looks like he won't be any help. Before I get killed by Sasuke, I just wanted to ask for REVIEWS as my dying wish! xD I know you guys are probably thinking, "WTF is her problem? Why is she doing this?" but it's all for the sake of the plot, I promise! And Sebastian's choice will be revealed in the beginning of the next chapter, I promise! I'm really sorry for the cliffhanger and for doing such a horrible thing to Ciel...I just hope I don't get any flames in the reviews I hope everyone leaves for me. NO REVIEWS, NO UPDATE! Just kidding, but reviews are very much appreciated. ^-^ They are what keep me updating even when I'm too lazy to do so...so please, REVIEW! ^-^ Thanks for reading this chapter, and I hope none of my readers kill me in my sleep... O.o**

Ja ne for now!

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zomgupdate: **Yay! I'm glad to see that you're happy! ^0^ Oooh, really? I didn't know that...if I could find the links, I would definitely post them! That's really cool that someone did that though! ^-^ Thanks for letting me know and for reviewing! ^0^**

yurika: **Awww, thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoy my ever-changing writing style! ^-^ As for your request, that will definitely be fulfilled, because this story was gonna be long from the moment I started thinking about it. It will have 6 arcs (we are just starting on the third one), and it will probably be close to 75 (it might reach 100, but it definitely won't go over 100). I hope that's long enough for you. ^-^ I'm happy to hear that you like the way I've written this story and that it seems pretty realistic to you. Thanks for the review and for your kind words! ^0^**

missjasmin: **Teehee, that's nice information to know *tries to imagine holding that facial expression throughout the whole chapter*. ;) Lolz, you gotta love the little mysteries I input into nearly every chapter; ho ho ho, good luck figuring it out! ;D Hey, you caught on! Yep, I'm trying to slowly ease everybody into the mindset of thinking about Sebastian's past before it becomes the focus. ^-^ I'm really happy to see that you are excited about the next chapter; I hope you like it! *nervous laugh* Yay for liking non-canon Satan! ^0^ Thanks for reviewing again! ^-^**

NamikazeH4 (Chapter 18): **Hmmm, that's a really interesting background story you have there. I like hearing about your speculations; they are pretty well thought out. ^-^ You will find out if your speculation is correct in later chapters, so look forward to that! ^-^ The same goes for your guess about Sebastian. ^-^ Thankies for your review and speculations! ^0^**

mika: **Lolz, you remind me so much of one of my buddies right now; she wants Ciel to have some power in the relationship too. As for your idea, I'll have to think about it because it's REALLY good and quite interesting. Thanks for the idea and for leaving a review; it makes me happy to hear that you liked Chapter 17! ^-^**

theMoreSeriousRahma: ***smiles happily* Yay for finally improving my grammar! It's thanks to you and our awesome English 111 teacher that I'm even bothering to try! ^-^ *punches air happily* Yayayayayay! That was the whole point of this chapter: to have enough detail so that the readers could see and feel the same things that Ciel saw and felt. My writing must have greatly improved for you to be able to actually see those scenes and hear those voices. *does a happy dance* Yayayayayay, another goal accomplished! This arc is gonna be all about the suspense, so it's great that I was able to make you feel suspenseful as well! ^-^ *smirks* You should've known that I would put something like that into my story; it just seemed like the perfect time to do it since the idea was fresh in my mind and Satan was perverted enough to think of it. ;D Teehee, interesting train of thought there. ;) Lolz, it's Apaypay, Victorian Style! xD Just kidding...yeah, she is pretty creepy, and you are right to have a bad feeling about her. Enjoy the arc. ;) Lolz, you are the first person to actually be disturbed by Scarlet! Hooray for disturbing my editor! xD But yeah, that was my main reason for making Satan the way she is; so that my readers would be confuzzled (just like how she confuzzles the sinners ;D). ^-^ Oh yeah, I'm good like that; I know how to make anything bad GOOD! xD Grrrrr...enough with the rainbows! D8 That powerpoint was awesome and you know it (just like Satan's eyes!)! ^0^ Yay! I'm glad to see you like the relationship between Sebastian and Scarlet; I wanted it to come off as if they were familiar with each other, but they still had a mutual respect for one another. Glad you caught on to that! Don't worry, there will definitely be interactions between them in the future, so look forward to that. ^-^ *snickers* If Ciel dressed like that 24/7, Sebastian would probably die (or Ciel from...yeah...), literally. xD Teehee, nice use of dots. ^-^ I hope my response was awesome enough for you. *nervous laugh* Thanks for reviewing again, buuuuuuddy! ^-^**

theCriticizingRahma: **Holy jizznit, are you serious? That's quite shocking...I didn't think I liked smileys that much. ^-^ But thanks for letting me know! ^0^**

NamikazeH4 (Chapter 17): ***snickers* I like confusing people; I'm becoming a master at that. ^-^ Oooh, your hypothesis is quite interesting; we shall just have to see if it's correct in later chapters, so look forward to those. ;) I'm glad you like the way I write the chapters and the length of each of them! Thanks for leaving another review! ^0^**

sakura: **Yay! That's totally kk, I'm just glad you are still reviewing and reading my story! ^-^ Awww, you're too kind; it makes me happy that you expect awesomeness from my chapters and that I was able to meet your expectations again. ^0^ Yay for liking my interpretation of Satan; I'm relieved that no one has said they hated her yet. ^-^ *smirks* Had to find some way to amplify Sebby's pervertedness. ;) *does a happy dance* I'm so glad you've finally forgiven Sebastian; I was worried that you were going to have a permanent grudge against him. T_T But yes, lucky Ciel. ;D I will definitely write more (including about the female demon), so look forward to those chapters. Will update ASAP; thanks for your review! ^0^**

SenS0riiScr33n3r: **Lolz, you're just noticing that? Just kidding; I decided to make his need to do lustful things intensify in this chapter (good thing they went to Hell, huh? ;D), so that's probably why he seems that way. *smiles* It makes me happy to hear that you like my writing style; I'm working hard to improve it every day, so I hope your love for it increases too. ^-^ Teehee, you sound like one of my buddies; don't worry, Ciel's time to pwn Sebby is coming up soon, so look forward to that! ;) Hmmm, well, at least you are AWARE of the fact that you should be feeling a sense of foreboding...glad that you aren't focusing solely on that though. Now you can enjoy the rest of the story! ^-^ Don't worry, I will DEFINITELY continue writing; thanks so much for your compliments and kind review. ^-^**

LittleCopperRidingHood: **Awww, you think so? Welp, I'm glad to hear that you liked the opening! It's a relief to me because I always wanna make sure my intro is good (because I believe if you don't have a good intro, then you won't have a good story/arc). Yaaay! You like Satan/Scarlet too! AND you think I've perfectly portrayed the type of Devil you wanted! ^0^ *does a happy dance* I was SO worried that people would say I'm taking the non-canon thing too far, but I'm glad that no one (including you) has said that! ^-^ Lolz, you and I think alike since you had an idea of what Ciel was wearing. I'm glad that you liked those lines; they were REALLY easy to write (they came naturally, I swear). ^0^ *smiles* I REALLY liked writing that part; you are right, it's SO rare for there to be sweet moments between them (whether it be in my story or in the actual manga/anime) that when they actually happen, we can't resist but to go, "Awwwww!". As for the whole character death thing, we shall just have to see. ;) (I'm evil, I know... xD) Lolz, that would be interesting to see! I'm not sure if Ciel would like the hug though... xD Awww, I love you lots too just for reading my story and for leaving such kind/awesome reviews! Yes, hooray for Winter Break! ^0^ Thanks for reviewing, and don't worry about the cussing or anything...I swear WAY more. xD**

fareleen: **Hi hi, fareleen! ^0^ Awww, that's totally okay; I hope your surgery went well! ^-^ I'm glad that my chapter could help a little with the recovery process. ^-^ Get well soon! ^0^ *hugs back* You're welcome, fareleen! ^-^ Lolz, thanks for the congratulations/celebration; if it weren't for readers like you, my story wouldn't even have been around for this long, so thanks for your support and dedication! ^0^ Oh wow, that's amazing! It pleases me to see that my writing has matured as the chapters continued (it would suck if it got worse... xD). Lolz, I'm really glad that you like Satan that much! You can borrow my thumbs if you want. ;) *smirks* As for the lemon, I'm more than happy to be able to describe such things so that you can imagine it clearly, so it was no problem at all. ;D Teehee, I'm trying to mix my chapters up a little bit; glad you caught on to the different moods and parts in this chapter. ^-^ Oh yeah, if you like angst, then you will LOVE this arc, because there is gonna be lots of angst in it! ^-^ Awww, thank you! I'm very happy to know that there are other writers like me on this site and that you respect them as well. I love talking to ALL of my reviewers; think about it like this: if I didn't respond to your review, I never would have been able to talk to you and get to know you a little better! ^-^ Yes, I will TRY to update faster (I'm so slow sometimes... xD), so look forward to those updates! Thanks so much for your kind review and words. Please, get well soon, and Happy Holidays to you too! ^0^**

Shimizu sorry in a hurry 3: **Awww, thanks so much! I'm glad that you liked this chapter as well! ^0^ Hooray for liking both of my OCs! I was worried that people would say that Satan was overkill and that I should've stuck with the canon version...so thank goodness no one has said that! ^-^ *smirks* It pleases me to see that you enjoyed the lemon as well. ;) I will do my best to update ASAP; thanks for reviewing even when you were in a hurry! ^-^**

Zozo-Chan: **Hi hi, Zozo-chan! ^-^ I'm happy that you liked this chapter and that you enjoyed the smut I slipped into it. ;D Yeah, I know what you mean; I'm still a little shocked that someone actually DID that, but it's in the past now. So yes, I'm as glad as you are that the issue has been resolved. Thanks for reviewing again! ^0^**

melianstorm: **Lolz, glad to see you are still alive! ^0^ Teehee, I like your speculation behind WHY Sebastian is kidnapped all the time. I just thought it would be funny to reverse that too (since Ciel is always getting kidnapped when he's the master), and it's also probably so Sebby doesn't give away the fact that he ISN'T a human. Teehee, Ciel is known for doing things that a lot of people WOULDN'T do; he's brave/dumb like that. xD But yeah, I was trying to create an air of suspense when Ciel couldn't figure out what was going on with the portals. Lolz, TOLD you Sebastian works hard! ^-^ Ah, I loved that OVA! It was so crack-filled and cute! ^-^ Ahem, sorry for the random fangirl moment. ^-^' Yeah, that's EXACTLY what Hell is like! Only, it's more like a demented mirror since all the good things you remember from where you came from are twisted into something disturbing and evil. Oooh, Scarlet is soooo evil! xD Lol, FAIL guess! xD Yay, I'm glad you like another one of my OC! ^0^ Lmao, I had to find SOME way to make Hell perverted...Ciel + cat costume + amplified emotions = perfect idea! xD Hmmm, we'll have to see if your feeling is correct or not in later chapters. Thanks for the well-wishes; I will update ASAP! Can't wait to see the drawing (and I totally understood that quote...I really liked it, but what would it be in your language? I'm curious...)! Thanks for the review! ^0^**

*person who didn't leave any name*: **Yay! I'm glad you liked my chappie! Teehee, hooray for liking another one of my OCs. Lolz, that mental image is too cute for words (talking about Scarlet drawing with a red crayon on a piece of paper). ^-^ *smirks* Glad you liked Ciel's outfit and the lemon that subsequently followed. ;) I had lots of fun writing those two lines. ^0^ Teehee, my need for some SebaCiel fluff came out when I wrote that. ^0^ Glad you liked it too! I'm just as excited as you are to see where this story leads, so stick around and you'll find out. Thanks for reviewing! ^-^**

KuroshitsuiisLOVEEEEEEEEE: ***snickers* Don't feel bad...we are all perverts here. xD As for the whole fanart thing, I can't draw so yeah...thought about it, but couldn't do it. xD Teehee, I'll be sure to give you more, so stick around for that. ;D Thanks for the review! ^0^**

tabby-chan: **Awww, really? That makes me so happy to hear that this was your favorite (and not just cuz of the smut xD). I worked really hard on it, so yeah, thanks for appreciating my effort! ^0^ Yay, you like Scarlet too! AND you think she's the best Satan ever? *dies of happiness* I will update ASAP, so look forward to that! Thanks for reviewing! ^-^**

SebaCieLuver: **Yay! I'm on winter break now, so expect updates at a much quicker rate! ^-^ *smirks* I couldn't resist slipping in some extra perversion, just for the fans. ;) Glad to see your patient enough to wait and see what will happen. Your patience will definitely be rewarded, I promise! Really? That makes me so happy that you like my OCs. I feel special, teehee. xD Thanks for the congratulations and for this review! I hope you have a happy holiday too! ^0^**

Rininlightblue: **Lolz, most definitely! Poor Ciel...but at least Sebby got a nice view. ;) Lolz, I'm sure we ALL wanna visit Satan's lair for that reason. ;D But I'm glad that you like Satan so much; I had lots of fun coming up with her character design! ^-^ Yep, that's right, so look forward to those updates! Thanks for reviewing! ^-^**

lilly: **Well, I'm happy that you found the time to read it; i'm glad you liked it too! Awww, thank you for your kind words. I'm okay with the whole situation now since there was so much widespread support and all. Thanks for your words and reviews! ^0^**

PLEASE (Chapter 16): **I'm not really a big fan of them...I just like that one song because it's really funny! ^-^**

PLEASE (Chapter 17): **Oh snap! I'll be sure to send the next person who does this to me to you then. ;) Don't worry, I won't let this stop me. If anything, it has inspired me to keep going! Thanks for your kind words! ^-^**

PLEASE (Chapter 18): **Awww, thank you! You're so kind! ^0^ Lolz, I guess there are just some people in this world who aren't open-minded like we are. ^-^ Hmmm, I'm not really sure if I agree with your reasoning for why people are gay. I think that it's a choice, but sometimes it's not controlled because we can't control who we fall in love with. If the person we love just happens to be the same gender, then that's just how it is. But I respect your opinion. Oooh, you go, reader! I stand up for gay people ALL the time, so I know how you feel! ^-^ Teehee, hippies FTW! Don't worry, I will DEFINITELY continue to write, so look forward to future stories and updates! ^-^ Thanks for sharing your thoughts and reviewing! ^0^**

Ceil: **Oh snap! Sebastian, RUN FOR IT! xD Lolz, seriously though, Sebastian probably did go too far when he said that to Ciel. But hey, he IS a demon, so doing evil things like that is in his nature. But thanks for your hilarious thoughts on how to get him and for reviewing! ;)**

.u.: **First off, I really like your pen name! It's so sweet and cute! ^0^ I'm really glad that I could make you happy using that equation. I'll be sure to do that kinda math in the future, so look forward to that! ;) Hmmm, that's a really interesting take on Sebastian's most precious thing. You'll just have to see if your thought is correct in later chapters. But it's a really cute idea! ^-^ Thanks for sharing that and for reviewing! ^0^**

Thee: **Hmm, that question will be answered in later chapters, I promise! Hopefully, you don't lose your mind before then. ;D Teehee, as for the writer thing, I kinda see your point since I am a tad insane, lolz! Thanks for reviewing! ^0^**

I'm your fan: **Awww, I'm so sorry! The day I was supposed to update on was actually Christmas Eve. Then, my family wanted to spend time with me on the weekend. And during the weekday, fanfic wasn't letting me post the chapter. I'm sorry for not posting! But thank you for reminding me of my promise! And I'm sorry! ^-^**


	20. The Voice

**J-C: *runs dashing into the room* HOLY SHIZZNIT! WHAT TIME IS IT?**

**Naruto: Time for you to get a watc-**

**~Sasuke~ It's almost 4:30...**

**J-C: GAAAAAAH! T_T Crap! *breathes deeply* Okay, I still have time. Sorry about that, readers... ^-^' It's just that I have to go to this dance thingie, and I need to be there by 5:15, so I'm kinda in a hurry...**

**~Sasuke~ Just like you were in a hurry to finish your homework?**

**Naruto: And to update your story?**

**J-C: -.- Shut up.**

**~Sasuke~ *smirks***

**Naruto: *laughing evilly***

**J-C: ANYWAY, I'm back, everybody... and SUPER UBER sorry! *sobs* T_T Not only am I updating nearly two months (school, personal issues... they really got to me this time... D':) after leaving you guys with a cliffhanger, but I also didn't respond to everyone's reviews... and you guys ended up getting me to one of my ALL-TIME GOALS! *cheers* THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! ^0^ Seriously, you guys have made my wildest dreams come true! I swear, I NEVER thought my story would get all of the attention that it does. You guys are too kind, I swear... *sniffles with happiness and sadness* So that's why I feel bad about not responding to everybody's reviews... but I REALLY wanted to post this chapter since so many of you guys mentioned how badly you wanted another chapter. But not to fear! I will DEFINITELY make up for this error! Just you guys wait. ) AND I have a plan! ^0^**

**~Sasuke~ *rolls eyes* Oh boy...**

**J-C: *actively ignores* Instead of waiting until the day I want to update (I've been done with this chapter for nearly a month... -_-) to respond to everyone's reviews in one go, I have decided to INSTANTLY (or at least attempt to xD) respond to each review as soon as I get them! That way, I can update more often, and everybody will get a response! I profusely apologize for not responding to everybody this time (especially after you guys made one of my dreams a reality... THANK YOU! ^0^), but I think you guys want to know what happens to Ciel, right?**

**Naruto: Actually, they probably wanna know about the Disclaimer and Warnings first...**

**J-C: I highly doubt that... but okay then!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Kuroshitsuji... I would probably die because that means I would own Sebastian... and Ciel... and make them do stuff... to each other... ;) So no, only in my head... and this story! xD**

**Warnings: GORE (Oh my god... if you guys thought the last chapter was bad, then this chapter is like Hell in writing. I'm serious... those who get squeamish easily, DO NOT read the gore part)! Violence (it's the sadistic kind too! ^-^'), language, sexual situations/themes, mini-lime (lolz, I still manage to be perverted... xD), and a little bit of fluff (Don't want to get too angsty here... ^-^').**

**J-C: Before you guys find out Ciel's fate, regular thoughts and dialogue in a flashback look like this (**_Dance... Ugh..._**), private thoughts look like this (**[_I hope the wait was worth it!_]**), conversational thoughts look like this (**'_Don't you guys just hate interrupted lemon scenes?'_**), regular dialogue and stuff looks like this (**SAVE CIEL, SEBASTIAN!**), scene/time changes look like this (XXX), memories look like this (**_I remember when school didn't give so much homework..._**), sound FX look like this (WHAM!), and emphasized stuff looks like... THIS! xD**

**~Sasuke~ It's 4:47...**

**J-C: *spazzes* I gotta go now, but before I do, I present everyone with the 20th chapter of One Hell of a Master! Enjoy! ^0^ *runs away***

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**Chapter 20: The Voice**

"Will you kill me or save your lover?" she said before bursting into a fit of maniacal laughter.

Sebastian could only poisonously glare in response. The female demon knew **exactly **what she was asking: would Sebastian choose his own death or Ciel's? Father Gregory's mate had put him in a lose-lose situation, which was why she taunted him using his dying butler's voice with a triumphant grin on her face. The tension in the room was palpable; it was nearly suffocating. Unspoken words, motives, **threats**, filled the room, creating an atmosphere of pure, demonic **hatred**. The two demons continued to stare each other down: one with smug satisfaction, the other with uncontainable rage. Neither one moved; they both waited to see what the other one would do.

_It seems as if I have been put in quite the situation… if I were to try to kill her, she could possibly kill me first considering she is much more powerful than her mate. If she doesn't immediately kill me, she would play with me for a while… she would dodge my attacks until I wouldn't have enough time to attempt to rescue Ciel. On the other hand, if I attempt to save Ciel, who she keeps referring to as my lover for an odd reason, she could kill me while my guard was down or injure me severely so that I would have to heal myself before I could heal my butler. By that point, Ciel would have bled to death. She is a stereotypically angered demon; she attacked an innocent person, in this case, my butler, to gain a sense of satisfaction. It is a classic case of revenge, which means she is not in a stable emotional state. I must approach this situation with the utmost caution._

"C'mon, Se-bas-tian~!" the woman taunted in a sing-song tone, "Make a choice! Time is running out, and I'm dying~!" she continued, faking as if she was talking as Ciel, before laughing hysterically. Sebastian coolly analyzed the overconfident female before looking down at his blood-covered butler. His own contracted hand was burning like it was engulfed in scorching flames, and the blood was starting to run dry. The symbol was fading at a scarily fast rate. The immortal was running out of time; his mind worked furiously to try and come up with a solution where he could simultaneously kill the rogue demon and save his servant. The odds were definitely against him. The only plausible option was to allow for Ciel to die and to take his chances fighting Father Gregory's mate.

Or so it seemed.

Eyes blazing with fury and other vengeful emotions, the raven-haired male took a step towards his enemy. Intrigued, Father Gregory's mate raised an eyebrow before snickering. "Oh, so it seems as if you have finally decided. It took you long enough; you might not be able to save your lover if you chose to do so…" she said before wickedly smiling. Sebastian paused before cocking his head to the side. A smirk™ developed on the noble's face.

"Oh~?"

The female gasped when she was suddenly grabbed from behind.

_What? How did he move so quickly? I didn't even detect his movement!_

Sebastian chuckled darkly at the woman's surprise. He had one arm wrapped around the mate's waist and the other was holding the female's head so that the side of her neck was exposed. He pressed the rogue demon to his body as he moved to whisper into her ear.

"Have you forgotten? I am not just a **normal** Semihominis. I am a **Hunter**, employed by the most powerful demon in the universe," Sebastian whispered in a voice dripping with poison. The female demon growled before she began thrashing in Sebastian's hold. The raven-haired demon didn't even flinch.

"If you think you've won-"

"I wasn't aware we were playing a game," Sebastian cut in. A slow smile spread on Sebastian's face. "Although I do love to play games. Did you know that my favorite game is chess?" Sebastian asked in a conversational tone of voice. The woman froze when Sebastian's grip tightened on her head. His hot breath ghosted over her bare neck. He elongated his fangs and brushed them against it, as if suggesting he was going to bite into the tender flesh, causing her to shudder. Sebastian's smile widened before he positioned his lips by her ear again, "Do you know why?" he asked sweetly. The woman didn't say anything, causing Sebastian to lowly chuckle. The female winced as Sebastian's hold on her head tightened; it felt like he was going to tear it right off of her shoulders! He leaned in close, causing his lips to brush against the shell of her ear.

"Because I love to say…"

**CRASH!**

Sebastian smirked as the window to Ciel's bedroom was forcibly broken through, causing glass to spray in all directions. The woman gasped in unadulterated shock, not believing her eyes. Sebastian's eyes took on their demonic state as he whispered the word that sealed the mate of Father Gregory's fate.

"Checkmate."

With a wide grin and his own pair of demonically glowing eyes, Sly moved into a standing position and whipped his head to rid his hair of some glass pieces.

"Do it now, Sly," Sebastian ordered. Father Gregory's mate screeched in terror as she tried to remove herself from the trap the two demons had set. Sly's grin widened as his eyes gleamed with malicious intent and sadistic happiness.

"With pleasure," he purred sinisterly.

Without a moment's hesitation, the blue-haired immortal's eyes focused on the exposed part of the woman's neck. Sebastian calmly watched as the woman's face began to change color; it transitioned from normal, flawless porcelain, to dark bluish-purple. Sly smirked at the female's horrified eyes before raising a finger. Summoning his special demonic ability, he focused his power on the mate's neck.

Sebastian observed as the skin on her neck began to rise, almost as if a bone was attempting to force its way out. But that was not the case. Underneath the rising, black-colored skin, the blood vessels had exploded, causing blood to pool. The woman began to choke in pain as her body was covered in black and red spots. She could feel her body temperature rise sharply before a feeling of immense tiredness washed over her. The bump on her neck had now increased to the size of a cantaloupe, and she could feel as it filled with pus. Several more bumps were forming under her armpits and in her groin area, but none of them were as large as the one on her neck (which was now the size of an oversized watermelon). Her neck felt like it was going to break under the weight of the protrusion, but Sly was sure to add another bump on the opposite side of her neck to balance it out. Thrashing and crying out as she did so, the pain-filled female felt fear fill all of her senses. She had been foolish to think Sebastian didn't have back-up of some sort; the fact that his back-up was a Morbus only made her decision worse.

Sly smiled a demon-revealing smile when the woman began to vomit blood. He listened with sadistic glee as the immortal screeched in agony before choking from the two bumps that were internally pressing on her windpipe. The plague-causing demon had accelerated the course of his power; so, instead of it taking six to seven days to wipe this woman off the face of the mortal world…

…it only took a few seconds.

Slowly opening his hand, Father Gregory's mate felt the bumps all over her body begin to fill with pus at rapid speeds. Her skin was literally decomposing right before her eyes, and there was nothing she could do about it. The blue-haired demon slowly began to close his hand; as he did so, some of the bumps on her skin exploded. Sebastian quickly released the female when he saw the first one explode. Swiftly, he ran towards Ciel and carefully picked him up from the ground. He didn't want Ciel to accidentally become infected. Sebastian cradled the child in his arms, making sure not to put too much pressure on his neck, and ignored the blood that stained his once immaculate clothing as he backed up to the kicked down door.

The pureblood female was now howling in agony as Sly decided to drag out the torture. Giggling, the Morbus twirled one of his fingers, consequently causing the pus-filled bump that was used to balance the weight of the initial boil to twist before exploding in a pain-filled shower of pus. A gaping hole was now present in the side of her neck; blood and spinal-fluid from her destroyed vertebrae gushed out and coated the side of her deteriorating body before forming a puddle on the floor. She fell to the floor as she lost control of her legs.

Sebastian felt no sympathy for the woman as she unintelligibly cried out for mercy. Sly glanced over at Sebastian when the raven-haired male made a coughing noise before backing completely out of the room. Realizing that he was taking a tad too long, Sly pouted before focusing on the original bump on the woman's neck. He could never have fun anymore. With a nonchalant sigh, the Morbus demon closed his fist all the way. Instantaneously, the entire woman's body swelled; blood leaked out from her eye sockets as her eyes pushed against their restraints. The pressure of the deadly combination of blood and other bodily fluids surrounding her skull cracked it; the fluids rushed in and drowned her brain, nearly killing all brain functions in an instant. Her skin stretched to its limits as her internal organs were pressed into her skeletal system and crushed by the pressure of the pus-blood mixture filling her insides. With one final gurgle, she met her demise in an explosion of pus and blood (1).

The stench of pus and death enveloped the room; nearly every part of the room was covered in a mixture of rust-colored blood and sickly-yellow pus. A little had splattered on Sly; the blue-haired demon chuckled as he brought a thumb up to his cheek and gleefully licked off the contents on the end.

"You do realize that you will clean this room of the mess you created," Sebastian stated seriously as he carefully stepped back into the destroyed area, face wrinkled in disgust. All of the walls and the majority of the furniture were coated in grotesque fluids. An evil stench, stemming from the fact that the creature that died was a demon, mixed with the vomit-inducing odor of pus. Sly sighed as his eyes reverted back to their golden state.

_Ah, well; it was fun while it lasted!_

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. But you know, you could at least say thank you! I didn't **have **to help you," Sly pointed out with a pout. Sebastian ignored the Queen's servant; now that the rogue demon had been taken care of, the raven-haired immortal could focus on Ciel. The limp body held preciously in his arms barely contained body heat, and any breaths the butler took were brief, shaky, and infrequent.

The sound of several pairs of feet dashing down the hallway caught the attention of the two immortals. Sebastian turned to consult with Sly, but the blue-haired demon had disappeared from the room. The red-eyed male growled but fixed his face into an indifferent mask as Maylene, Bard, and Finny dashed into the room.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" they all cried out in unison. The sight of the fluid-covered room was horrifying enough as it was, but seeing a blood-covered and deathly pale Ciel being held in their master's arms shocked the living daylights out of the trio.

"That is unimportant at the moment. I am not sure where you three were, but I need for one of you to call for Madam Red immediately," Sebastian ordered in a no-nonsense tone of voice. He didn't have time for their superfluous questions; he wasn't sure how much longer Ciel had before he died, prematurely ending their contract.

_I cannot allow for that to happen just yet. His soul is not at its prime._

"There is no need for that," a confident, feminine voice answered. Before Sebastian could even blink, Madam Red came marching into the room. Dressed in her normal, red-colored outfit (minus the large red hat), the death god's eyes raked over the room before focusing on the standing demon and the boy in his arms.

_Well, I've certainly seen worse in this house before… I guess I shouldn't be shocked by what I see in here anymore…_

The red-head grimaced at the sight of the mortally injured child before steeling her resolve. She couldn't allow for herself to mourn yet; she could still do something. Remembering her education from medical school, the death god ran over the items she needed to hopefully save Ciel's life. Turning to face Sebastian's other servants, she began to bark out orders.

"Finny, I need a basin of water and a few washcloths. Bard, bring me a bottle of carbolic acid and a lighter. Maylene, find a needle, thread, and a few strips of cloth. Make haste and go!" she commanded. Standing rigidly, the servants quickly responded with a serious, "Yes, ma'am!" before exiting the room to find the items Madam Red needed. Sebastian, impressed by the woman's demeanor, smirked when she turned to face him with fire in her eyes.

"As for you… I believe I told you to protect him," she growled. Reaching into the pocket of her red coat, she found a hair tie and proceeded to tie her hair up in a bun. Sebastian said nothing in response. Sighing, the noble woman motioned to the bed. "As soon as I remove that sheet that's covered in God-knows-what, lay him down on there and apply pressure to the wound. We can at least attempt to save what little blood he has left in his body," the death god remarked. The demon nodded; the noble woman quickly moved to the bed and ripped off the blood- and pus-covered sheet. Sebastian carefully laid Ciel down on the bed before pressing his fingers below the gaping hole while Madam Red applied pressure above it.

"How did you arrive here so quickly?" Sebastian inquired after a few moments of tense silence. The demon would not believe that he was trying to calm his anxiety by talking… or that he was anxious to begin with. The immortal could barely feel his servant's pulse, but it was still there; it was faint, fleeting, but there. For now, that would have to do.

"Your three servants were traveling the countryside, returning with a present for Ciel from London. I had just finished collecting a soul and happened to be passing through the area. I was walking along the road when they called out to me from their carriage. They asked if I wished to come to the surprise party they had planned for Ciel. I would've declined, but something told me to come anyway," she dryly chuckled before pressing down harder on Ciel's throat. "I guess my intuition was correct this time," she finished seriously. Sebastian nodded before focusing on feeling for his servant's consciousness. After much concentrated searching, Sebastian was able to find Ciel's conscious mind. The barrier between wakefulness and eternal sleep was as thin as a spider's thread. Regardless, there was still a chance. Sebastian would just have to make do with whatever Ciel had left in him for now.

_Come now, Ciel. Show me that exquisite strength of yours one more time._

"Why haven't you healed him already, Sebastian? I'm sure you don't really need me to operate on him," Madam Red remarked after some time.

"Actually, I do. The power in the contract between me and Ciel is too weak at the moment; if I attempted to heal him using my regular demonic power, I would probably kill him. The power I have would be too much for him; the contract serves as a filter so that only the necessary amount actually works on him," Sebastian explained solemnly. The death god blinked; Sebastian was actually concerned about what his power could do to Ciel?

_Well, this is new…_

Smirking, the death god listened for the sounds of the approaching servants. The first to arrive was Maylene. Her glasses were perched on top of her head so that she wouldn't trip and fall with the things held in her hand. Finny followed close behind, awkwardly running and holding a basin full of water in both hands with several washcloths held in his mouth. Bard rushed in seconds later, holding the bottle of carbolic acid and the lighter as if they were the keys to life (which in this case, they were). The servants placed the items around the physician and waited for more orders.

"That is enough for now. I need for you three to stay back," Madam Red said as she removed her hands from Ciel's neck. Sebastian moved one of his hands to the top of the wound while the other stayed in place. Maintaining the right amount of pressure was crucial; Ciel's pulse hadn't weakened anymore, so there was a strong possibility that the boy could live.

The physician immediately set to work. Removing her blood-stained gloves and setting them on the nightstand, the redhead reached for a washcloth and soaked it in the basin of water. When the cloth was wet enough, she carefully but efficiently began to wash off the blood around the life-threatening wound. She did this so she would be able to see exactly what had been damaged and take the proper measures to operate on it. Also, it would help her be able to see where to burn and stitch when it came time to end the operation (2).

When the first washcloth was redder than her lipstick, the noblewoman replaced it with another one. After going through three more cloths, the death god could clearly see what had been damaged. Cursing lowly, the woman gritted her teeth. Sebastian coolly watched the woman, judging his butler's chances of survival by the physician's actions. The female looked up at the other supernatural being with a wry smirk.

"You wouldn't happen to have removed Ciel's voice box from that beast before killing her, would you?" she asked. The expressionless look on the pale man's face clearly answered her question. Sighing, she locked eyes with the demon. "Are you sure you do not wish for me to allow for him to die? You realize that if I save his life now, he will never be able to speak or utter a sound for the rest of his life; he will forever be mute. Based on his personality, I do not think he w-"

"As his master, **I** am the one who decides his destiny, regardless of his feelings. If I wish for him to live, he shall live. If I have no more use for him, I will easily erase him from existence." Lowering his voice, the demon leaned closer to the immortal, "Besides, his soul is not ready to consume just yet." The red-eyed female rolled her eyes before giving the man across from her a stern glare.

"That's your only reasoning for going through all of this trouble…just to get a high-quality meal," she stated tiredly. Sebastian smiled brightly, confusing the servants who didn't hear the majority of their conversation.

"Why would I settle for anything less?" he stated matter-of-factly. Madam Red looked deep into the other male's eyes before a small smile formed on her face.

_You are easier to read than you may think, Sebastian._

"Alright then," she responded. Removing her overcoat, the physician rolled up the sleeves of her dress. Turning to face the three worried servants, she said, "I ask that you leave the room. I will fetch you when the operation is complete." Tears welling in Finny and Maylene's eyes, the trio begrudgingly exited the room. The red-haired woman's face slipped from reassuring to focus. "Sebastian, you may release the pressure you have on Ciel's neck. From what I can see, that woman made a clean break when she ripped out his voice box, so there shouldn't be any risk of internal hemorrhaging," the physician commented calmly. The raven-haired male nodded in affirmation.

"I agree; she was most definitely specialized for this type of attack," he replied. Sebastian pushed the images of the rogue demon taunting him with Ciel's voice to the back of his mind; right now, he needed to focus on saving his pet's life. Madam Red peered into the jagged opening in her patient's body before making a clucking sound.

"It seems that her emotions slightly affected her work. She **just** missed rupturing Ciel's aorta, a mistake most of her kind would not make. But she did move Ciel's windpipe a tad off center. This could create problems in the future, such as difficulty breathing. I will attempt to force it back into place before cleaning the wound and stitching it." Shaking her head, the death god affectionately ran the back of her hand against Ciel's breathtakingly-cold cheek. "You seem to have quite the lucky streak, Ciel," she whispered in an almost loving tone of voice.

_Whether that is a good or bad thing is up to you to decide._

Removing her hand from the child's face, Madam Red moved from her position beside the bed to go into the bathroom. Sebastian watched his servant like a hawk, looking for any signs that his condition was worsening. The death god returned a few minutes later; she had been washing her hands and running through the steps of the operation. It was very important that she didn't mess up; one slip and Ciel was done for.

Since she didn't have any surgical tools on her, she was going to have to use her hands; more specifically, the very tips of her fingers. Judging by the rest of Ciel's windpipe, only the part that had been directly connected to his voice box had been bent. She was going to have to stick the tip of her finger into the beginning of the windpipe and gently move that part back into position. If all went well, she would hear a faint popping sound as it moved back into place.

Breathing deeply, the physician went to work. Maneuvering her index finger and thumb skillfully, but quickly, around Ciel's neck tendons and arteries, Madam Red placed her index finger inside the top of the windpipe while pressing the pad of her thumb against the outside of the pipe. Concentrating, the red-haired death god began to apply pressure with her thumb while keeping her index finger in place. Sebastian continued to feel for Ciel's consciousness in case it was starting to slip away. The physician silently elated as she felt more air hitting the tip of her index finger. Technically, she was cutting off Ciel's air supply because she was blocking his trachea; she had to move quickly, but not too quickly because she could cause the area to rupture, or else he would die of oxygen deprivation. Applying even more pressure, Madam Red's eyes flitted to Ciel's face to look for any signs of discomfort. She silently cursed when Ciel's brow slightly furrowed.

Sebastian's head jerked up when he felt Ciel's consciousness start to fade again. "Madam, we are losing him…" Sebastian warned. The woman grunted in response, twisting her hand so that she had more control over the pressure of her thumb.

"I understand, Sebastian. I just need to apply a little more force, and it should snap back on its own," she responded hastily. The tip of her tongue poked through her lipstick-covered lips as sweat began to form on her brow. Using her free hand, she wiped away the sweat and focused on controlling her thumb. Applying even more pressure, she could feel as Ciel's windpipe began to resist her motions. Sebastian watched as his pet's face began to change color.

"Madam, you must hurry. He is having trouble breathing," Sebastian pointed out. Madam Red growled.

_C'mon, Ciel… don't give up on me now._

The boy's body was beginning to seize from being denied air, causing more blood to flow from the wound. Sebastian winced as his hand flared with pain. Glancing at it, the demon cursed; the contract symbol was barely present. He could hardly make out the outline of the outer circle. Everything else had faded to nothing.

Refusing to panic, the physician pressed even harder. She had to still be careful because now her fingers were shaking; if they shook too much, she could accidentally cut something inside of the boy's neck. Muttering under her breath, Madam Red continued applying more force. Her eyes darted between Ciel's blue-tinted face and his neck.

Sebastian cursed; Ciel's consciousness was no longer traceable. That could only mean one thing.

He was currently in Limbo (3).

Sebastian gritted his teeth at the thought. _If Ciel is in Limbo, my contract no longer has any control over him. Any supernatural being can snatch him up for their uses and desires. Or he can choose to die with no repercussions. _Growling at the thought, Sebastian opened his mouth to speak.

"I know… I felt his soul enter Limbo… I just need to… nnn, a little more…"

**POP!**

"Got it!" the red-haired woman exclaimed as Ciel's windpipe snapped back into place (4). Quickly, but carefully, removing her fingers from the boy's windpipe, the surgeon watched the area for signs of hemorrhaging. Breathing a brief sigh of relief, Madam Red watched as no blood pooled around the area. Sebastian looked at his butler's face and was pleased to see it was returning to its deathly pale state.

However, they couldn't celebrate just yet.

Wiping her hands on the edge of the sheet, Madam Red reached for the bottle of carbolic acid. She tossed a washcloth to Sebastian before reaching for another and drenching it in the substance. "I need for you to use your fangs to tear that into little pieces so I can stick it in carbolic acid and place it between the openings of the stitches," she explained calmly. Sebastian nodded and elongated his fangs. Biting into the cloth, the demon easily cut through the flimsy material. Meanwhile, Madam Red carefully washed the outside rim of Ciel's wound with the acid-covered washcloth. It was important that she cleaned the area before she began stitching it closed. If she didn't do so, the risk of infection was dangerously high (5).

Once that was done, the red-haired noblewoman reached for the spool of thread. Cutting four equal pieces of thread, the physician tied the ends of them together before looping the other end through the small hole of the needle. Dipping the needle and thread into the bottle of carbolic acid, Madam Red reached for the lighter and tossed it to the demon. Sebastian caught it and looked at the woman across from him for his instructions.

"You are going to have to physically move Ciel's skin as close as possible and burn it closed. Once it has cooled down enough, I will stitch it so that the skin stays in place. Then, you will dip those washcloth pieces in carbolic acid, place them between the stitches to prevent further infection, and I will wrap his neck in a cloth covered in carbolic acid." Pausing to look at her assistant, the woman slyly smiled. "Do you think he can live through all of that?"

Smirking in response, Sebastian glanced at Ciel's deathly pale face. "He is a servant of Michaelis; where would we be if he **couldn't** do such a thing?" With those words, Sebastian flicked the lighting end of the lighter, watching as the flame instantly flared to life (6). With one hand, the demon pinched one end of the wound together and placed the lighter as close to the skin as possible without burning it completely off. The smell of burning flesh quickly filled the room, but neither of the two supernatural beings was bothered by the stench. Sebastian meticulously continued pinching together and burning Ciel's neck wound closed while Madam Red watched for signs of the nearly blackened skin cooling off.

When Sebastian reached the opposite end of the hole, Madam Red began working on stitching the beginning end firmly closed. Working skillfully and efficiently, the death god made sure to pull the thread as taut as possible so that it wouldn't loosen, causing Ciel's wound to easily reopen. By the time ten minutes had passed, the physician had finished stitching half of Ciel's neck wound. Sebastian, meanwhile, had been dipping the pieces of washcloth into the bottle of carbolic acid and gingerly placing them between the newly-made stitches.

Only when the final cloth piece was placed into position, and a cloth covered in carbolic acid was wrapped around Ciel's neck and clipped shut, did the two immortals breathe a sigh of relief.

**XXX**

Ciel's eyes sleepily fluttered open. Surrounded by a sparkling white mist, the butler blinked in confusion. He was no longer in his room. The boy looked around, trying to see through the impenetrable fog. Even though he knew he should've felt fear or at least a vague sense of panic, Ciel felt nothing but an unshakable peace. Ciel looked down to see that he was floating in midair. Some of the mist ruffled his hair while the rest continued to swirl around him. It was cold, but not unpleasantly so. It caused Ciel to shiver as his body chilled slightly. Truly confused but still feeling calm, Ciel began to think.

_Where… am I? Why… don't I feel any pain? Am I… dead? I must be… because the… last thing I remember was that… woman taking out my voice box._

Wincing at the memory, Ciel brought up a hand to his throat. He paused before bringing his hand away from his neck. Ciel was surprised to find that it wasn't covered in blood like he thought it would've been. In fact, there was no hole whatsoever.

_I can't be dead… if I was, I would be in Hell by now because Sebastian would've taken my soul. But if that is the case, then where exactly am I right now? What happened to the mansion… that woman… to Sebastian?_

"Do you wish to escape?" a gentle, melodious, and soothing voice suddenly asked. Ciel flinched when he was suddenly bathed in light. Ciel put a hand over his eyes and attempted to look at the speaker. He had to squint to see, and even then, all he was able to make out was the blurred outline of a person. Confused, but still feeling at peace, Ciel nodded slowly. He wasn't even exactly sure what this mysterious person was asking about to begin with.

"Do not fret, my child. I am only here to help you," the calming voice said. Ciel was slightly shocked when he felt something he couldn't see gently stroking his cheek, but instead of flinching away from the phantom touch, the dark-haired teen leaned into it. "You have experienced too much pain, little one. It is time for you to depart from this world, don't you think?" the voice asked sweetly. Ciel froze at the statement.

_So, I am not dead yet… But if I do choose to die, then I will have to go to Hell because of the contract between me and Sebastian._

"Come, young one. We mustn't dawdle over these sorts of things," the voice urged. "You do not wish to be placed back into a life filled with pain, hatred, and fear, do you?" the speaker pressed. Ciel opened his mouth to respond, but the voice cut him off.

"I can save you from that **monster**," the phantom being finished with hatred. Ciel jerked at the hate-filled word.

_Monster? Could this being be referring to Sebastian? What does this supernatural entity have against my master? And how can it save me from him? His contract is absolute… I cannot escape it, no matter how much I want to…_

A weight on Ciel's thumb caused the troubled child to look down at the finger. Blinking at the sight of the blue ring, a flood of memories of his time spent with Sebastian flashed through his mind.

_Sebastian throwing him into the wall._

_Sebastian torturing him with the contract when Ciel disobeyed him._

_Sebastian smirking gleefully when Ciel broke his ankle._

_Sebastian setting up an impossible challenge._

_Sebastian having a premature taste of his soul._

_Sebastian talking about his soul, trying to instill fear into Ciel's heart._

_Sebastian molesting him on a daily basis._

_Sebastian pouring ice-cold water on him to make him wake up in the middle of the night._

_Sebastian forcing Ciel down on the bed and telling him what it meant to be his pet._

_Sebastian pushing Ciel down the stairs._

_Sebastian mocking Ciel._

_Sebastian taking Ciel's virginity and leaving him behind the morning after._

_Sebastian forcing Ciel to be a hunter._

_Sebastian humiliating Ciel during his sex pet time._

_Sebastian lying to him about having a fiancée._

_Sebastian slapping him._

_Sebastian nearly raping him in the carriage._

_Sebastian abandoning him on the night of his birthday._

Those memories pushed Ciel closer to agreeing with the mysterious being. What kind of life would he continue to live if he chose life with Sebastian? All the demon did was fuck him, mock him, and hurt him… again… and again… and again. An endless cycle of physical, emotional, and mental pain would be what Ciel would submit himself to all over again until the day of his death if he chose to continue living. Ciel wasn't sure if **any** person would want to return to such a life. Ciel looked up with a determined look at his potential savior and opened his mouth to say his answer. But then, a different set of memories invaded the boy's mind.

_Sebastian saving him from the bandits._

_Sebastian carrying him in his arms after Ciel had broken his ankle._

_Sebastian fixing his broken ankle without the boy knowing._

_Sebastian kissing him for the first time._

_Sebastian saving and protecting him from the intruders._

_Sebastian healing him when he was injured from being pushed down the stairs by Sebastian._

_Sebastian catching him when he was thrown off the horse._

_Sebastian investigating with him as they tried to solve the Jack the Ripper case._

_Sebastian offering him his shirt as temporary night clothing._

_Sebastian fixing Ciel's hair and dressing him for their investigation of the church._

_Sebastian giving him a portrait of Ciel as a gift._

_Sebastian gently taking his virginity._

_Sebastian holding him on the night his virginity was taken and any other night that Ciel would allow him to._

_Sebastian kissing him goodbye and doing his best to reassure Ciel that he would be alright against Father Gregory._

_Sebastian rescuing him from Father Gregory._

_Sebastian fighting to the death to protect Ciel from being killed by Father Gregory._

_Sebastian healing him from the wounds Father Gregory had inflicted, despite being injured himself._

_Sebastian sweetly talking, holding, and kissing him._

_Sebastian nursing him to health when he was sick from not eating, drinking, and sleeping properly._

_Sebastian not raping him, even though he could've._

_Sebastian saving him from the Viscount._

_Sebastian apologizing for lying to him about Grell and then tenderly kissing him for the first time in a while._

_Sebastian making love to him for the first time._

_Sebastian saving him from the demon in Hell._

_Sebastian holding him close after having sex in Hell._

_Sebastian giving him the ring after preparing his room for his birthday._

_Sebastian wishing him a happy birthday._

Ciel blinked as the reel of memories suddenly stopped. He was left breathless; had Sebastian really had such an impact on his life in a short amount of time?

"N-No…" Ciel shakily whispered. The mist froze around him and a feeling of uneasiness settled in the pit of Ciel's stomach. The peaceful atmosphere was gone, now being replaced with a tense one.

"What? My child, I do not understand-"

"I do not wish for you to save me. What isn't there to understand?" Ciel responded strongly, his mind firmly made up. He couldn't die yet; regardless of Sebastian's impact on his life, he still didn't know anything about his past. He couldn't die until he at least knew who he used to be. Wincing as a sharp pain originating from his neck shot through his body, Ciel gasped as blood began to stain his clothing. The mist around him began to swirl angrily as the voice suddenly boomed.

"ARE YOU DENYING ME? NO, I WILL NOT ALLOW FOR THIS TO HAPPEN!" the voice roared viciously.

Ciel opened his mouth to speak but found he couldn't say a word. It was as if his voice had suddenly been ripped away by the stormy mist surrounding him. Suddenly, a strong force began to pull him out of the mist. The stronger the force pulled, the louder the being roared, and the more pain Ciel felt in his throat. It was madness; Ciel didn't know where to place his hands: over his bleeding throat or over his ears to drown out the ear-blasting shrieks.

"YOU CAN'T ESCAPE ME, CIEL PHANTOMHIVE! I WILL SAVE YOU, WHETHER YOU WANT TO BE OR NOT!" the voice screamed, all kindness and gentleness completely gone.

Another strong tug, and Ciel was staring at the ceiling of his bedroom.

**XXX**

Sebastian's eyes snapped open as he was suddenly bombarded with Ciel's consciousness. Tanaka gave his master a quizzical look. The two males were currently in the lounge, trying to piece together how the rogue demon had entered Sebastian's residence without anyone detecting her. After three days of running through ideas, neither of the two males could come up with a plausible reason.

During a lull in their conversation, Sebastian had decided to try and reach for Ciel's consciousness again. For the past three days, his butler had been in Limbo, untouchable and untraceable. But tonight, the supernatural being had been able to locate the thread of his conscious mind, even in the complexities of Limbo. He wasn't sure why tonight had been different than the past three nights, but Sebastian certainly wasn't complaining. He had latched on and refused to let go, sending silent orders for the boy to come back to him, to wake up.

His orders had worked.

"He is awake," Sebastian responded simply. Nodding, the senior butler looked at his demon master with a small smile.

"Then go to him. I am sure he has many questions to ask the Master. I will fetch Miss Sutcliffe," Tanaka said reasonably. The demon nodded before swiftly moving from the lounge chair. Sebastian walked leisurely to his pet's room, preparing himself for the worst. It was clear that he was going to have to be the one to tell the boy the bad news. Sebastian wasn't anxious about doing Madam Red's dirty work; as the master, it was his duty to tell his servants about the things that were happening in their lives anyway. No, he was more curious about what Ciel's reaction would be.

_I am expecting for him to surprise me, just like he always does. I am quite amazed that he is already conscious after such a traumatic experience. Madam Red said he probably wouldn't be awake for at least a week and a half._

Sebastian was jerked out of his thoughts by the sound of someone quietly crying. He coolly looked at the softly sobbing maid as she came hurriedly around the corner. Sensing a presence, the purple-haired woman looked up to see her master analyzing her. Paling slightly, Maylene quickly wiped under her glasses, trying to hide her tears from Sebastian.

"Maylene, what happened?" Sebastian asked tonelessly. The crying woman could only shake her head before looking sadly down the hall she had just come from. "Tell me, Maylene," Sebastian pressed, not necessarily ordering her, but suggesting that he would if he had to. Flinching slightly, Maylene held back a sob as she tried to calm herself down.

"It's… Ciel, my lord. I was… starting the fire in his room… when I suddenly heard… a creaking sound. I turned… around and saw… that he was sitting up. He looked… confused and really… tired. He gave me… a quizzical look before… opening his… mouth, as if… he was going to ask… me something," the woman sniffled loudly at this point, about to melt into mournful tears at the memory of Ciel's shocked face. Sebastian said nothing as he reached in the pocket of his coat and produced a handkerchief. He gently placed the cloth in the woman's hands, and Maylene smiled gratefully before wiping at her eyes and nose. Inhaling shakily, Maylene continued to relay what had happened. "But… he couldn't… say anything! He kept… opening and closing his mouth… forming words, but no… sound was being emitted. He looked so… so shocked. Then… his face just… turned expressionless. It was as… if he shut down all… emotion or something… I couldn't say… I couldn't say anything… to comfort him!" Maylene finally wailed before dissolving into tears.

Sebastian blinked at the strong display of emotion in front of him before he inaudibly sighed. Leaning down so he was face to face with the sobbing woman, he brightly smiled. "Do not worry, Maylene. I will handle this. Ciel will be perfectly fine. Just rest and allow for me to take care of him, alright?" Sebastian said in a soothing tone of voice. Maylene blinked at her master's sudden display of kindness before dumbly nodding, slightly dazzled by the demon's smile. Sebastian straightened himself out and walked around the sniffling maid, making his way towards Ciel's bedroom.

_Well, at least I know what to expect_, Sebastian thought. Standing directly outside of Ciel's room, the man listened for any sounds. Stopping himself, the demon chuckled humorlessly at the thought of **sound** coming from Ciel's room. Sebastian gently knocked on the door and announced his presence before he entered.

The atmosphere in the room was dead.

Sebastian's eyes instantly adjusted to the dim lighting of his butler's bedroom. The only light was coming from the crackling fire in the fireplace. The glow from the orange-red flames slightly illuminated Ciel's marble-like face; no trace of emotion could be found. The young teen was sitting rigidly on his bed, gazing at absolutely nothing. All the butler's thought processes had stopped; Sebastian wasn't sure if it was because Ciel had made all of his thoughts private or because he had just completely stopped thinking. The curtains were still drawn closed since Maylene had felt too guilty to finish setting Ciel's room for the night. Taking it upon himself to do his maid's job, the demon gently closed the door behind him and smoothly made his way over to the curtains.

"Honestly, what will I do about that maid? Leaving her work to the master of the manor," Sebastian shook his head in mock sadness and made a clucking sound before moving to open the curtains.

'_I cannot speak_,' Ciel stated tonelessly. Sebastian's hands barely flinched as he continued to draw back the curtains.

"I see," Sebastian responded smoothly, not giving away any of his emotions or thoughts. "Well, that is certainly an inconvenience, but I am sure we will find a way to work around that problem," the demon continued, doing his best not to draw out any extreme emotional reactions from his servant. The supernatural being moved to sit on the opposite side of the bed, allowing for Ciel to look out the now-opened window if he chose to. A silence developed between the two males.

'_I knew I couldn't speak before Maylene talked to me… I was just foolish enough to attempt to try anyway,_' Ciel continued monotonously. Sebastian opened his mouth to say something before slowly closing it.

'_You are wondering how I knew, aren't you?_' Ciel asked, eyes flitting in Sebastian's direction before focusing on something that Sebastian could not see. The demon did not say anything, patiently waiting for his butler to "speak". Sebastian's eyes followed the movement of one of Ciel's hands as it came to rest lightly over his bandaged neck. '_My throat feels empty… like something is missing… something… important_,' Ciel explained before swallowing as if to accentuate his point. Sebastian nodded before gently placing his hand over where Ciel's voice box used to be; the boy didn't so much as flinch as the older male's hand rested over his own.

"You are correct. You no longer have a voice box; consequently, you will be mute for the rest of your mortal life," Sebastian stated, deciding not to beat around the bush. The demon gently rubbed the area before pulling his hand away. Ciel blinked slowly before a small, emotionless smirk formed on his otherwise passive face. His hand slowly dropped back onto the bed, almost like it had died.

'_I figured such. That woman was intent on making me suffer for the rest of my life. She wanted for me to experience the same pain as she had after we killed her mate. It seems her plan has failed though…_' Ciel remarked, before finishing with a snort. The boy finally turned to look out the window, not trusting himself to look at his master in the eye. Ciel didn't understand why he didn't choose death. If he had known that this would be the consequence: a life without the ability to speak… Ciel swallowed, feeling his eyes sting. He tried to shove down his emotions, but the unfairness of the situation was getting to him. Why did he choose to come back to the world of the living? Why? Did he make the wrong choice after all?

Sebastian blinked when he suddenly felt a warm pressure on top of his hand. Looking down, the demon was shocked to see Ciel's trembling hand resting on top of his own. Releasing an inaudible chuckle, Sebastian didn't make any movements. He just looked up at Ciel's beautiful face, illuminated by the moonlight.

"Yes, her initial plan to inflict a comparable pain on someone like you has failed miserably. If she was alive, I'm sure she would be highly disappointed," Sebastian remarked good-naturedly. The smirk on Ciel's face widened slightly at his master's words. Pleased that his butler was showing some emotion, Sebastian moved his hand so that he was limply holding his servant's own.

'_She's dead? Heh, I hope she was wiped out in an… appropriate manner,_' he stated satirically.

"Yes, Sly killed her using his special demonic power. I believed it was appropriate… although highly messy," Sebastian cringed at the memory before continuing. "I was able to come up with a plan to simultaneously fulfill my duty to Satan and to save your life," Sebastian explained. Ciel nodded slightly, wincing at the sharp pain from his stitched neck.

[_He's always saving me… even though he hurts me the most… he always protects me in the best way he can…_]

'_It hurts…' _Ciel complained before bringing his other hand up to touch the wounded area. '_She purposely did this in a way to where I would feel much physical pain as well… It's a wonder that she didn't kill me…_' Ciel commented before slightly gripping onto Sebastian's hand. Sebastian smiled, knowing that the small gesture was Ciel's silent way of thanking him. Sebastian returned the tiny gesture with an equal amount of pressure.

"Apparently, her emotions affected her work. Normally, her kind of demon would've killed you with little to no problem…" Sebastian responded. Ciel blinked before biting his bottom lip in thought.

'_So her special demonic ability was to remove voice boxes and use them as her own?_' Ciel inferred.

"Yes, she was a Vox Congero (6)," Sebastian replied before his eyes drifted to the boy's heavily bandaged neck. It was unbelievable that Ciel had survived such an ordeal. Then again, he **was** Ciel. This child never ceased to amaze him, no matter the circumstance. When Sebastian squeezed his hand first, Ciel felt his heart jump. Doing his best to hide the flush on his cheeks, Ciel turned a little more towards the window, causing the stitches in his neck to slightly move. Ciel inhaled sharply from the pain, and Sebastian flinched a little at the pain that flowed between their contract to him.

"Your neck should heal in time. Madam Red has advised that you do not move until you regain your strength and the stitches are removed. You lost a fair amount of blood, so you won't be able to physically move for quite some time anyway," Sebastian beamed suddenly. "It looks as if I will have to nurse my cute pet back to health again." Ciel mentally groaned at the thought, causing Sebastian to chuckle with humor.

'_I would rather have my voice box cut out all over again…_' Ciel said sarcastically. The boy clutched more tightly onto his master's hand, still refusing to meet Sebastian's gaze. Sebastian knew that Ciel didn't want to relive such a horrific experience again. Ciel was silently asking for Sebastian not to allow for something like that to happen to him again.

Sebastian's response was to thread his fingers through the boy's. He continued to gently hold Ciel's hand until the child drifted back into a peaceful sleep.

**XXX**

**Four days later**

Ciel looked at the object in his lap with immense confusion. He had never seen such a thing before.

'_Is this a weapon of some sort?_' he asked, perplexed by the object, before looking up at his demon master. Sebastian tried to hide his mirth at his servant's obvious ignorance.

"No, it is not a weapon. It is a board," Sebastian responded vaguely, purposely trying to elongate his servant's bafflement.

'_A bored? I thought that was an emotion…_' Ciel pointed out. He was starting to get a headache, and the fact that his master was now **smirking** clearly showed that the demon was purposely messing with him.

"No, not bored, as in the emotion. It is a game board, used for playing games on. It is a noun, for your grammatical information," Sebastian added smugly. Ciel shot his master a venomous glare before looking back down at the board resting on his lap. The board had a black outline around the outside perimeter; inside of the outline were evenly sized squares that alternated colors. Some of the squares were the color of the white-colored board while the rest were black. All in all, it was a simply-designed object.

Deciding to take a jab at his master for his previous statement, Ciel smirked before looking directly in his master's amused orbs.

'_Games, you say? Aren't you a tad… __**old**__ for such endeavors, my lord?_' Ciel asked in a falsely innocent tone. The boy watched with slight confusion as his master's eyes transitioned from gleaming amusement to dull acceptance.

**FLASHBACK**

_Madam Red was finishing up her examination of an unconscious Ciel. Sebastian was sitting stiffly in the chair by his servant's bedside. He was still searching for Ciel's consciousness, but he was having no luck again. The death-god-turned-physician checked something off on her sheet of paper before sighing. The woman's sigh broke Sebastian's intense concentration. Frustrated but skillfully hiding that emotion, the demon opened his eyes to focus on the red-haired death god._

"_Well?" Sebastian urged politely. Madam Red wryly smiled._

"_He is recovering much faster than expected… but it will still take a fair amount of time for his body to completely heal from the damage that woman caused," the physician relayed before focusing on her examination notes to decide on the best treatment for her patient. Sebastian nodded before glancing at Ciel's angelic face. A little bit of color had returned to the child's cheeks, but the boy was still unnaturally pale. If the demon didn't know any better, he would've thought his butler was peacefully sleeping._

_It was quite a tempting sight._

"_Do you have an estimation of how long his recovery period will last?" Sebastian asked. The redhead paused before looking at the expressionless male._

"_Absolutely not," she coldly stated. Sebastian blinked, doing his best to feign innocence._

"_Excuse me?"_

"_There will be absolutely __**no**__ sex during Ciel's recovery time. Honestly, is that __**all**__ you demons think about?" Madam Red finished with a slightly disgusted tone. Sebastian smirked before gazing at the child butler._

"_Well, we __**do**__ need some sort of outlet for our demonic emotions and instincts. Sex is just a natural way-"_

"_Then you are just going to have to find another outlet for your demonic nature. Ciel's body cannot be put through such… physical exertion. It needs to focus on recovering from the loss of massive amounts of blood and the wound inflicted by his attacker," Madam Red cut in seriously. Sebastian's eyebrow faintly twitched at the death god's rebuttal._

"_I believe, Madam Red, that you are underestimating my servant's physical capabilities. Besides, our contract explicitly states that he must be my sex pet between the hours of-"_

"_I am quite aware of your contract, but you will just have to temporarily rescind that part of your contract until Ciel is completely healed," the death god reported sharply before focusing on the sheet of paper held in her hand. The atmosphere in the room shifted to a challenging one as the two immortals silently stood their ground. Sebastian put on his most charming smile._

"_Surely a little… exercise could do no harm to Ciel's physical c-"_

"_Sebastian," Madam Red interjected before locking eyes with her brother's fiancé, "I am Ciel's doctor. I know what is best for him. Doctor's orders: Ciel is not to engage in any sexual conduct with you until I deem him physically fit for such activity," the death god stated with finality._

_Sebastian was inches away from killing the woman glaring at him from the other side of Ciel's bed._

"_But I believe-"_

"_No."_

"_You need to understand; Ciel-"_

"_Absolutely not."_

"_However-"_

"_**No!"**_

"_Madam…"_

"_Sebastian! No means no!"_

"_Then, what does the __**doctor**__ suggest in place of sex?" Sebastian asked in a barely hidden tone of hostility. Frustrated by the demon's persistence, the woman threw her hands up in the air._

"_I don't know! Play a game with him!" she yelled out. Sebastian blinked at the odd suggestion before an ingenious idea popped into his head. Noticing the male's small smirk, the woman narrowed her eyes before a sly smirk formed on her own face._

"_Just make sure the game does not encompass any inappropriate touching… or sex, in general," the woman added smugly._

_Sebastian was totally going to smother the smirking woman in her sleep tonight._

**END OF FLASHBACK**

Sebastian grinned brightly, deciding to ignore his servant's attempt to get back at him for his earlier statement. "One is never too old to play games, Ciel. Besides, this is not a children's game; many **adult** nobles, and adults in general, actively participate in and even join competitions to prove their skills in this game of strategy and intelligence," Sebastian stated with a hint of excitement. Curiosity piqued, Ciel looked down at the small, felt-covered box in his master's lap.

'_How exactly does playing with a box and a board encompass strategy and intelligence?_'

_It's official: All nobles are idiots who have way too much time on their hands..._

Sebastian couldn't hide his amusement at his servant's lack of knowledge about this subject any longer. Chuckling softly, Sebastian pushed a button on the box and unlatched the cover. Ciel blinked at the contents of the container. Separated by little wooden dividers, there were pairs of oddly-shaped and differently colored wooden pieces lined up in rows. Ciel noted that the colors of the objects matched the squares on the board in his lap. The pieces of wood had a glossy appearance, showing that they were well taken care of. Some of the pieces looked similar to objects in real life. One of them looked like the tower of a medieval castle, while another closely resembled a horse, minus everything below the neck. His demon master reached for one of the black horse-like pieces and placed it on the third square in the last row on the side farthest from Ciel.

"We are not playing with a box and a board, my pet. Today, I am going to teach you chess. It is one of my favorite games, and I believe you will enjoy it once you understand the movements of each of these chess pieces and the premises of the game," Sebastian stated calmly.

[_It also is a rather time-consuming game that will hopefully take up enough time to where sex is no longer an option…_]

Ciel watched as his demon master reached into the box and lined up each game piece on certain squares on the board. When his master was finished, the two rows farthest from Ciel had chess pieces proudly occupying each square. The boy noticed that the exact same-colored pieces were lined up in front of the row where the differently-shaped pieces were arranged. Ciel also noticed that they were all one color: black. With his uncovered eye, the child butler watched as one of Sebastian's elegant fingers pointed to the piece that resembled a castle tower that was located on the far right of the row farthest from Ciel.

"Pay attention, for I will only say this once," Sebastian said seriously. Ciel carefully nodded, showing that he was listening, but the child couldn't resist mentally rolling his eyes at how serious his master was being over a game. "This piece is called a rook. It moves any number of spaces horizontally and vertically. It can move backwards as well, just as long as it is in a horizontal or vertical fashion." Sebastian's hand migrated to the piece next to the rook; it looked like a horse. "The name of this chess piece is the knight. The knight is an interesting game piece because it moves in an 'L'-like way. It can either move three spaces vertically and one space horizontally, or one space vertically and three spaces horizontally, depending on the chess player's decision. This piece also has the ability to 'jump' over other pieces, meaning that if one of my own pieces is in the way, the knight does not have the incapability to move; it can simply move right over it and into its newly assigned space," Sebastian paused to allow for the boy to take in the capabilities of the newly-learned piece.

Ciel was slightly fascinated by the knight's movements. It was definitely a powerful piece, that was for sure. Sebastian moved on to the piece next to his black knight. "This is called a bishop. Bishops are similar to rooks; the only difference between the two is that bishops move an unlimited number of spaces diagonally. They, of course, can move backward as well, as long as it is in a diagonal pattern. There is one limitation with this piece, however," Sebastian pointed at the other bishop that was two spaces away from the original one. "It can only move diagonally on the color square it was originally on. Therefore, the bishop whose original starting place was on a white square can only move diagonally on white squares. The same goes for the bishop that starts on a black square," Sebastian explained. Ciel, still fascinated by the knight, moved his line of sight to the piece next to the bishop Sebastian had first pointed to. The demon followed his servant's eyes and smirked. Ciel was catching on pretty fast, just like he had expected him to.

"The piece you are currently focusing on is known as the queen. The queen is the most powerful piece because it can move any number of spaces in any direction, no matter the color. The only thing it cannot do is 'jump' its own pieces. But, my pet, the most **important** piece in the game of chess is the king," Sebastian emphasized before moving on to the last differently-shaped game piece in the row farthest from Ciel. The teen was a tad confused as to why the queen wasn't the most important piece, considering how powerful it was, but he decided to hear his master out. "The king can only move one space in any direction, no matter the color. But the only way to win the game is to get it into 'checkmate'. The whole goal of chess is to utilize your own pieces so that you can make it so that your opponent's king can no longer move anywhere without being taken; in other words, into checkmate. But you must also prevent your opponent from placing your own king into checkmate as well. Now, there is another term that has a similar meaning to checkmate, but it does not equate to a win or loss. If one of my pieces were to be placed in a position where it could take your king, but there was still an area the king could move to or another piece could take or block the attacking piece, then the king is only in 'check'. Once your king is in check, you must do something when it is your turn to prevent it from being taken; you cannot make any unrelated moves. Now, when I use the word 'take', you are probably a tad confused by what it exactly means. To take your opponent's piece means to simply move your own piece in a way that forces the other piece to move from the square it is occupying. Once that is done, the piece is 'captured' and cannot be used for the duration of the game. Although helpful because it helps remove aggressors to your own king, it is not something that should be the focus of your moves. The only way these pieces can be regained is if," here, Sebastian took a pause to focus on the row in front of the other one.

"You move one of these pieces, called pawns, to the opposite side of the board. You can then exchange that pawn for one of the pieces you lost during the game. That is the only special ability that pawns possess. They can only move one space at a time, and it has to be in a straight movement, unless it is attempting to take another piece. In that case, it moves one space diagonally, no matter the color. While it is in its initial position, it can also move two spaces forward instead of just one; of course, that is up to the player's discretion. Once a pawn is moved from its starting square, it can only move one space at a time, no matter what. Do you understand, Ciel?" Sebastian finally finished with a smile.

Ciel cautiously nodded, not wanting to disturb the stitching in his neck. The butler could easily see where the strategy and intelligence came in when playing chess. The players not only had to think about how to take their opponents' king, but they also had to make sure that their own king wasn't in danger as well. Along the way, they had to organize their pieces' movements so that they could take the challengers' pieces and put the opponents' king in checkmate while making sure their own pieces could not be taken by the opponents or their own king was not threatened. All of these things had to be remembered and applied to every move, every thought, every**thing**.

Ciel was going to like this game.

**XXX**

**A few hours later**

'_Checkmate_,' Ciel said triumphantly before moving his white knight into place, ending the game and sealing Sebastian's fate. Sebastian resisted the urge to knock the board across the room in a show of childish anger. Instead, the demon blinked before looking up at the slightly smirking boy.

"I see…. that makes this three wins for you, correct?"

'_Actually, it's __**four**__,_' Ciel haughtily replied. His smirk widened. '_**You**__ won three times_,' he corrected.

Sebastian **really** wanted to throw something right now.

Ciel's bedroom was quickly darkening, showing that evening was fast approaching. The two males were playing chess for hours, but to them, it felt like only a few minutes. In the beginning, Sebastian easily beat the boy; the first game only lasted for exactly nine minutes and 45 seconds (not that Sebastian had been counting or anything). It was slightly hard for Sebastian to contain his amusement from Ciel's reaction (which was poorly hidden frustration… Sebastian had sworn that Ciel was going to pout from his loss). Sebastian felt confident going into the second game, which only lasted five minutes and 23 seconds longer. The demon was surprised when Ciel proposed going for a third round.

That's when the real competition began.

After playing for over three hours, Ciel ended up winning. This shocked Sebastian to the point where he was actually frozen in place for a good 56 seconds. He, of course, smoothly proposed a rematch, which Ciel promptly agreed to. The fourth game lasted for a little under two hours, and Sebastian emerged victorious. Ciel silently set up the board for a fifth round, and it all went downhill from there for Sebastian. The butler ended up winning the subsequent three games, bringing the boy's total wins to four and the demon's to three.

Ciel was now moving all of the pieces back into their original places. Watching the child, Sebastian couldn't resist pointing out something he had seen while they had been playing.

"Why do you use the knight so much?" he asked. Ciel blinked before looking up at the stone-faced male. Slightly tilting his head to the side, the butler shrugged his shoulders.

'_I didn't really notice…' _he replied nonchalantly before moving all of Sebastian's pawns back into their spots. Sebastian's eyes narrowed slightly. People didn't make certain moves or use specific pieces without thinking about it. Chess just didn't work that way. Ciel gingerly picked up a white knight and twirled the piece between his fingers. A contemplative look formed on the child's face before he allowed for the horse to rest in the palm of his hand. '_I guess it is because I feel a certain affinity to it…_' Sebastian blinked at the boy's thought.

"An affinity?"

Ciel nodded slightly before he silently yawned. '_It is my favorite piece because it is the most useful. Unlike the other pieces, including the queen, the knight's moves are almost always unpredictable._' To accentuate his point, Ciel arranged the pieces on the board until he was satisfied with their arrangement. Sebastian watched intently as the dark-haired boy pointed at the bishop and the rook. '_How can these two pieces move, my lord?_' he asked. Sebastian blinked, slightly thrown off by the question before his eyes began roaming the board for possible moves.

"The rook can move to take the queen or shift a couple of spaces to the right to put the king in check. The bishop can take the opponent's rook that is about to take a crucial pawn… or it can move back to keep the king from being put into check…" Sebastian verbally strategized. A small smirk formed on the boy's face before he moved a knight.

'_Checkmate_.' Sebastian looked truly surprised by the move. He had mentally calculated every other piece on the board, but he had somehow missed the exact way the knight was going to move because there were so many possibilities. The smirk on the child butler's face widened at his master's facial expression. '_You see, Master, the knight is the most powerful piece on the board __**because**__ of its unpredictability. Every other piece has straightforward moves that can easily be predicted and seen. I could probably win an entire game using just the knights,' _the smirk fell from the boy's face before he looked down at the knight again, '_If life was a game of chess, I believe I would be the knight… because even though its ultimate purpose is to protect the king, it can do so in a way where it can maintain its power of surprise… it is the one piece that actually has dignity…'_ Ciel stated before his thoughts drifted off. Sebastian chuckled before he picked up the black king.

"I must say, although the knight does have extraordinary capabilities, the king is my favorite piece. Without the king, the game is over… how much more power does one need to possess? It controls all of the pieces, and all of the other pieces work to protect the king and to eliminate the other one. It is the absolute power in this game; no other piece can surpass it," he added with a smile.

'_You must relate yourself to the king… considering your narcissistic personality…' _Ciel added. Sebastian only smirked in response before glancing towards the clock.

"Ah, it appears as if our game will have to end for now…" Sebastian said dutifully. Ciel looked at the clock and visibly stiffened. It was 7:30. The last time this had happened was late this morning. Sebastian smiled in an almost apologetic way before moving off of the bed. "As your caretaker, it is my responsibility to make sure this is completed at least thrice a day. There is nothing I can do about the discomfort," Sebastian stated as he went into the bathroom. Ciel said nothing, opting to focus his attention on the abandoned game board on his lap. He hated having this done to him, but what choice did he have?

Sebastian returned a few minutes later with a wet washcloth in one hand; several pieces of gauze cloth were held in the other. Ciel sighed before placing a hand over his heavily bandaged neck. He moved to remove the clip holding the bandages together, but Sebastian stopped him. Ciel looked up at him with a glare, pride evidently taking a severe hit from this whole process. Sebastian smiled brightly before completely removing Ciel's hand from the wounded area.

'_I am not completely incapable of changing my own bandages…_'

"That may be true, but Madam Red gave specific instructions: she only wants for me to do this, so allow for me to fulfill my duty. Just relax, my pet," Sebastian ended in a reassuring tone, causing the boy to cross his arms in frustration. The demon carefully removed the board from Ciel's lap and set it on the nightstand before moving onto the bed. Gingerly, the raven-haired male unhooked the clip holding the bandages together and gently unwound the material. Ciel looked away from his master, angry at Madam Red for instructing Sebastian to do this… and angry at the whole situation.

[_I hate this…it just serves as a reminder of my weakness. I couldn't protect myself from that woman's attack, even though I had been trained by Sebastian on how to deal with demons. If I had just listened to my instincts, none of this would have happened. This is my problem, so I should be the one to fix it._]

The demon was pleased to see that it was taking longer to see bandages with blood on them; even those that had blood on them only had a minimal amount. This could only mean that his pet's neck was slowly healing. Soon, Madam Red would be able to remove the stitches. All that would remain in its place would be a scar.

[_A reminder of my failure as a master… how could I not have been able to detect this woman before she attacked Ciel? Regardless of her power, as a hunter, this is an unacceptable error.]_

Completely removing the dirtied gauze cloths from the area, Sebastian set them off to the side and took a moment to look at Ciel's neck. The area was gooey from the gauze on the bandages that had been wrapped earlier in the day, and it was an angry red. The burned skin was beginning to form scabs, and Sebastian cringed at the thought of removing the deeply embedded stitches. He was probably going to have to order Ciel to go to sleep while Madam Red took them out…

'_Don't stare like that… just do it already…_' Ciel ordered tonelessly. Sebastian glanced up to see Ciel looking down at him with an almost ashamed look on his face. The demon knew how much this incident affected Ciel; the boy hated to feel weak, so depending on his master for every little thing was probably killing him inside. The thought that the boy was still suffering from the woman's attack angered Sebastian. The sheer amount of anger that coursed through the man as he gently wiped down the area with the wet washcloth surprised him. Sebastian was not one to feel such passionate emotions so easily. But just the mere memory of Ciel… lying helpless in a pool of his own blood… completely at the mercy of a stranger… made him livid.

Sebastian felt the boy jump slightly when he was wiping down the area. Feeling an odd twinge in his heart, Sebastian pressed a gentle kiss to the center of the wound, causing Ciel to softly gasp and a furious blush to spread on his cheeks (7). The demon had felt the entire boy's body stiffen as one of the older male's hands rested on his sheet-covered thigh.

'_Master? What are you doing?_' Ciel asked, completely shocked by his master's actions. Sebastian, whose original intent was to merely apologize for the boy's pain, smirked up at the smaller male seductively. Ciel looked down at his master with an expression that the demon deemed utterly adorable. His eyes were widened in naïve incredulity, his mouth was parted from the shock of what had just happened, and the red flush on his cheeks was quickly spreading to the tips of his ears the longer Sebastian continued to stare at him.

Doctor's orders be damned.

Sebastian chuckled before he quickly, but carefully, wrapped the boy's neck in the gauze wrap. He didn't want for Ciel's wound to open from the "activity" he was about to put him through. Sebastian placed another kiss over the bandaged area before he moved to the boy's jaw line. Ciel's hands went up to grip at his master's shoulders, attempting to push the older man away. He wasn't sure what had caused for his master's libido to suddenly switch back on, but Ciel wasn't going to allow for himself to be swept up in it.

'_St-Stop it, M-Master! What's gotten into you?_' Ciel demanded to know. He bit his lip hard, temporarily forgetting that he couldn't moan anymore, as the other man nipped at a sensitive earlobe. Since they hadn't engaged in any acts pertaining to sex since the attack, Ciel was much more sensitive than usual.

Bad for Ciel… good for Sebastian.

"Oooh? How cute… you stutter in your thoughts. I wonder if I can make you moan, too…" Sebastian stated sinisterly before he began to suckle on Ciel's ear. Ciel released another gasp as shockwaves of pleasure traveled throughout his healing body.

'_Stop this in-instant, my lord! My body… is still h-healing!'_ Ciel pointed out. Sebastian found Ciel's shaking form completely alluring; the boy wasn't going to be able to resist him for long. Already, Ciel's grip on Sebastian's shoulders was beginning to slip as his trembles increased. Ciel jumped when he suddenly felt one of his master's hands move the covers down to reveal his legs. The child was only dressed in his nightshirt, so everything from his lower thigh down was revealed. Ciel moved to cover himself but his master wrapped an arm around the child's back and pressed him to his chest, preventing Ciel from moving. Ciel squirmed in Sebastian's hold, refusing to allow for the man to do this.

'_Release me at once, y-you demon! Don't you have a-a-any self-control?_' Ciel exclaimed with fury. Sebastian paused at his butler's words. Ciel, thinking his master would stop, relaxed slightly in the immortal's hold. Sebastian tilted the boy's face up so that Ciel could look into his eyes.

"When it comes to you, the answer is no," Sebastian responded seriously before passionately kissing his servant. Ciel's eyes widened and his heart raced at dangerous speeds; he wasn't sure if it was because of the kiss he was currently engaged in or because of his master's words.

[_What did he possibly mean? Am I… the only one to cause him to lose control? Is that a good or a bad thing? Should I be happy or disturbed? I feel… happy… which confuses me…]_

Ciel hesitantly kissed his master back in the hopes that the man would leave him alone after this kiss. Of course, the boy's plans were dashed when Sebastian gently pushed him down onto the bed. Ciel's face burned as the man continued to devour his lips. He squeezed his eyes shut, embarrassed by his master's boldness. Sebastian had missed this, being able to kiss and touch his butler. Having to hold back for a week was killing the male; now that he was finally able to have a taste, he couldn't stop himself from enjoying the entire meal.

Ciel squirmed under the bigger male, feeling heat course through his entire body and pool in his lower belly. The boy silently screamed when his hands slipped to rest on Sebastian's broad chest. He moved to push the demon away, but he found himself clutching onto the material of his master's shirt. The hand that had been resting on Ciel's thigh left a burning trail as it slowly moved up, up, up, until it disappeared under the fabric of his nightgown. The boy's eyes popped open when he felt his master rub his most intimate secret through his underwear. Sebastian smirked as he pressed the pad of his finger against the area, causing Ciel to break the kiss and pull away with a gasp.

'_No! M-My lord… Don't t-t-touch me there! It's… It's…'_

"Sensitive?" Sebastian completed, causing Ciel's entire face to redden even more. The boy glared at the man, but he couldn't hold that facial expression for long as Sebastian shifted his hand to massage one of his buttocks. The boy's face twitched in pleasure as his slightly swollen mouth opened and closed in silent moans and whimpers. The demon was pleased by the child's reaction; Ciel wasn't fighting back as much as he would've if he hadn't been recovering.

Good for Sebastian… bad for Ciel.

'_Stop th-this immediately! Master… I don't want to… do it…' _Sebastian chuckled at the embarrassed tone Ciel's mind had taken on.

"So there are times when you want to do it?" Sebastian asked coyly, causing the boy below him to scowl.

'_No, there aren't,_' Ciel answered with firm conviction. Sebastian's smirk widened before he placed a kiss on Ciel's flushed cheek. His sinful hand danced around on Ciel's abdomen before moving under the hemline of the boy's underwear. The demon couldn't resist slipping a finger into the child's hole and pushing it in as far as he could. Ciel gasped loudly at the unexpected intrusion. It burned slightly because of the lack of lubrication, but his master quickly made up for that error by prodding his prostate. Ciel's face darkened even more before he turned his head to the side and shamefully spread his legs so his master could touch him more. His hands were clutching onto the man above him as Sebastian continued to finger him while hotly whispering into his ear. The boy's eyelids twitched frantically as overwhelming pleasure began to course through his body. But it wasn't enough; to sate his need for pleasure, Ciel began to slightly rock his hips into Sebastian's hand, pushing the finger even deeper inside of him. But even though his body was more than eager, he didn't want to do this now! He was so tired… and yet, that damn **hand** felt so good…

"No matter… you will become honest once I-"

"Once you do **what**, Earl Michaelis?" a falsely sweet voice asked. Both Ciel and Sebastian froze in their actions. The duo turned to see a brightly smiling Madam Red standing in the doorway. Ciel, mortified by the woman seeing him act so shamefully, pushed at the unmoving man above him. Sebastian didn't budge as he coolly stared down the death god. A charming smile spread on the demon's face as he cleverly came up with an alternative statement.

"Once I finish wrapping his bandages, of course," the immortal smoothly replied.

After that night, Sebastian was forbidden from changing Ciel's bandages.

* * *

(1): **So... what I described in that highly gorey scene was all the symptoms of the bubonic plague, only accelerated! xD Remember, Sly is a Morbi, and the sickness he causes is the plague. As you can clearly see, the plague was definitely not a laughing matter... it was really horrible and a terrible way to die in my opinion. Poor people who got the plague... :( But I think that's a fitting end to Father Gregory's mate, don't you? *smirks sadistically***

(2): **Yes, you guys read that correctly. During the Victorian Era, stitches were closed up by burning the wound closed. *shudders* God, that had to hurt! T_T Good thing Ciel was unconscious, huh?**

(3): **Okay, so from a religious perspective (being a Catholic), Limbo is a mix of Heaven and Hell combined. But for the purposes of my story, Limbo is nothing like that. Limbo is just a place souls go right before they die. In Limbo, there are no worldly attachments (hence why Ciel is no longer under contract), so many souls are tempted by the beings who float there into choosing whether to live or die, and whether to go to Heaven or Hell. Sounds simple, but Limbo is much more complicated then that... because it's not really a place, but it's also not in one's mind or anything... *begins rambling* xD**

(4): **The windpipe is made up of cartilige and other bendible body components, so it is actually possible to bend it back into place (or out of place like Father Gregory's mate did).**

(5): **Carbolic acid was used during this time period to prevent infection after surgery or just from cuts in general. It is still in use today, but it is not as commonly used as other medicines used for this purpose. Still, you would think acid would burn skin... guess not! xD**

(6): **Hooray for more Latin! So, this one is kinda simple to break down. Vox means "voice", and Congero means "thief". Basically, Father Gregory's mate was 10x more creepier than Father Gregory himself... seriously, stealing voice boxes and using them as your own? *shudders* But no, the reason those type of demons do that is because they are born without a voice of their own... kinda sad, but still... creepy. O.o**

(7): **Just to cover myself, mute people actually can gasp and make little sounds. The voice box just allows for pitches and other tones to be produced... as long as the sound doesn't need to vibrate the vocal chords to be heard, then a mute person can still make it. Looks like there is going to be a lot of gasping, huh? ;)**

**

* * *

**

**J-C: *runs back***

~Sasuke~ J-C... you do realize you are late, right?

J-C: *shrugs* I know... I always am. xD But I have to do one more thing... besides thanking everybody for reading my latest chapter! Guys, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, R-

**Naruto: Review! ^-^**

******J-C: Um... yeah... what Naruto said. xD But seriously, please review! I swear, I will respond ASAP instead of procrastinating and waiting till the last minute. But I better go now, my ma is practically glaring holes in the back of my head... O.o Thanks for reading, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts and feelings about this chapter! Thanks again! ^0^ *runs away for real this time***

****Ja ne!


	21. The Mistletoe

**J-C: Oh... my... God... O.O**

**~Sasuke~: *looks around at the destroyed room and points at Naruto* He did it.**

**Naruto: Nuh-uh! You kept resisting me, and then when we were finally getting to the good stuff-**

**J-C: HOW IN THE WORLD-?**

**Naruto: *wails while holding onto J-C's leg* WAAAAAAH! I'M SO SORRY, J-C!**

**J-C: COULD I NOT UPDATE THIS STORY FOR 4+ MONTHS? OH MY GOD, I'M SO SORRY, EVERYBODY! T_T**

**~Sasuke~: *silent but relieved***

**Naruto: Oh... right... that... *laughs nervously***

**J-C: I... I really have no words to express how deeply sorry I am for such a ridiculously long wait! I told myself that I would never make my readers wait longer than 2 months for an update, no matter what, and then THIS happens! Seriously, I feel so bad right now... especially when I've read everyone's reviews and seen how much traffic my story has been getting since Chapter 20 was posted... I'm so sorry. You guys have been incredibly patient and devoted to my story, and how do I pay you guys back? By taking 4+ months to update... I'm sorry... :( My life was really going badly from the date of Chapter 20's update till quite recently. I was in danger of not passing my college Trigonometry class (but surprisingly, I made it through... xD), and I had so much homework that I didn't sleep much. Then, May rolled around, and I was FINALLY free from school, but then the SAT decided to be all like, "NOT YET, SUCKER! STUDY FOR ME OR YOUR FUTURE WILL BE RUINED! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!". So I spent the entire month of May studying for my SAT, and I didn't have much time to write. AND THEN, when I finally finish the SAT in June (surprisingly, I got a 2100 on it... and a perfect score on my essay... I was like, "HOLY SHIZZNIT! HA, TAKE THAT, SAT! 8D"), my parents started nagging me to get a part-time job... So, June was spent job searching... and now it's July, and I finally got a chance to finish Chapter 21 (by the way, I was writing this chapter throughout that period, but I never had enough time to make adequate progress... -_-)! ^0^ But still, even with all that crap, it doesn't sit well with me that it took so long for me to update... I'm really, really, sorry! D": **

**~Sasuke~ Okay, they get it, J-C... Why don't you tell them some good news before you depress the dobe?**

**Naruto: *sniffles* It's so sad... Poor J-C...**

**~Sasuke~ *sighs* Too late... *awkwardly pats Naruto's head***

**J-C: You're right, Sasuke! No need to depress my fans... if anyone is left that is. ^-^' BUT I HAVE SERIOUSLY GOOD NEWS FOR EVERYBODY! I'm infecting the Interent! ^0^**

**~Sasuke~ Not exactly the best way to break the news of your-**

**J-C: SHUT UP, I WANNA SAY IT!**

**Naruto: Yeah, Sasuke! Let J-C tell her readers that she has a Twitter page where they can follow her, and a Facebook fan page for "One Hell of a Master" so that she has more than one way to get in touch with everybody!**

**J-C: -_-**

**Naruto: Whoops, sorry, J-C...**

**~Sasuke~ *smacks Naruto in the back of the head* Dobe...**

**J-C: *sighs* Welp, there goes the surprise... but what Naruto said is completely true! ^0^ I have finally decided to let myself be pulled into the crazy worlds of Twitter and Facebook so that I can communicate with you guys through more than simple responses to reviews (which I apologize to everybody who I didn't respond to... I lost track of what reviews I had answered and which I didn't, and since I really wanted to post this chapter, I stopped responding... I'm sorry... I'll do better with this chapter, I swear!)! BUT THAT'S NOT ALL! ^-^ Me and my awesome best friend/editor (theRahma) are... *drum rolls* COSPLAYING "ONE HELL OF A MASTER"! ^0^ That's right! We have made a youtube channel dedicated to cosplay videos all about "One Hell of a Master"! I, J-C, will be cosplaying as Sebastian, and theRahma will be cosplaying as Ciel and Grell. We already have one video up on the channel so you guys can have a little taste of what we have in store. We plan to do CMVs (cosplay music videos) and omake "episodes" where we act out events that happen in the Michaelis manor that can't be included in the story for length reasons. ^-^' My best buddy and I are currently making a CMV featuring Sebastian and Ciel doing some smexxi things together, so look forward to that! ;) Oh, and all the links will be posted on my profile so that you guys don't have to search for my Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube page. xD**

**~Sasuke~ Okay... Now that you're done advertising yourself, why don't you actually get on with introducing this chapter?**

**J-C: YES! I'm totally pumped to FINALLY be back on Fanfiction and updating stuff for a change instead of just lurking in the shadows... xD And not only that, IT'S SUMMER! ^0^ Even though I'm taking a stupid online SAT class, I plan to update as much as I can throughout this month and for the rest of this year (my schedule for next school year is much easier, so I believe I'll have more time to write! ^0^)! But for now, let's focus on the present and our Disclaimer and Warnings! ^0^**

**Disclaimer: I'll just say this: If I owned Kuroshitsuji, Lizzy would not have been present in the last few manga chapters... (seriously, WTF is Yana doing? Why have the latest chapters been about Lizzy and hinting at Ciel x Lizzy as a couple? Dude, c'mon! There better be loads of SebaCiel action in the next chapter and the ones following it or Imma cut off Lizzy's ponytails and shove them where the sun don't shine! D8) - the rant in parenthesis proves that I do not own Kuroshitsuji. xD**

**J-C: And now for the Warnings!**

**Warnings: Welp, in this chapter, there is going to be violence, sexual themes/situations (seriously, that's like... a permanent warning with this story... xD), some citrus to quench all of my fangirls and fanboys thirst (but this time, it's SOLO!), language (again, another permanent warning with this story... xD), offensive language (I'm sorry if I offend anyone in this chapter... I was just basing the offensive things off of how they were viewed during this time period), and Lizzy (I swear, this warning is more serious than the one I did for the Viscount... xD)**

**J-C: I'm sure after four months (I'M SORRY T_T!), some people have forgotten the general layout of my story. So, regular dialogue and stuff looks like this (**The unannounced hiatus is over!**), emphasized words and thoughts look like this (How long since the last update?) or like this (_Screw you, Trigonometry!_), scene/time changes look like this (XXX), sound FX look like this (POW!), regular thoughts look like this (**_I'm so glad school is finally over!_**), conversational thoughts/Ciel's speech looks like this (**'_My Trig teacher is a spawn of the Devil... but not the cool one in my story!'_**), private thoughts look like this (**[_I can't wait to post Chapter 22!_]**), dialogue and stuff in flashback looks like this (**_Make sure to look for a word in bold saying FLASHBACK so that you aren't confuzzled!_**), thoughts in a flashback look like this (_Anyone confuzzled by all the format specifications yet...? xD_), and anything with extra information at the end of the chapter looks like this (**Fungry (3)**).**

**Naruto: Wow... That sure took a while...**

**J-C: Shut up... -_- *finally looks around at her destroyed room* WHOA! WTF HAPPENED H-?**

**~Sasuke~ Everyone, enjoy J-C's unedited version of Chapter 21 (her editor's computer busted, so she apologizes if there are any grammatical errors), complete with 56 pages of crap.**

**J-C: HEY! My chapter isn't crap! I tried REALLY hard to make it perfect... I'm sorry again for the late update... and the fact that it's unedited this time... xD *turns to Sasuke and Naruto* WHAT DID YOU GUYS DO TO MY R-?**

**Naruto: Enjoy Chapter 21 of "One Hell of a Master", everybody!**

**J-C: GUYS! D8**

* * *

**Chapter 21: The Mistletoe**

**December 23****rd****, 1888**

"Sebastian…? Sebastian, are you listening to me?" Grell screeched into his fiancé's ear. Sebastian blinked, torn away from the **very** appealing sight located a few feet away from his face. The sound of the male's voice had shattered his temporary… reflection on the more… pleasurable things in life.

Such as his butler, bending over to pick up an ornament that had fallen off the tree.

Yes, **that** was quite a pleasurable sight.

Too bad Grell was there to ruin it.

Grell growled as he followed Sebastian's line of sight. Ciel, feeling two pairs of eyes trained on an intimate area, swiftly moved into a standing position. Silently clearing his throat, the boy decided to ignore the fallen ornament and pick it up when he wasn't being visually molested. Sighing, Sebastian tore his eyes away from Ciel and finally focused on the fuming death god.

"My apologies… But I am afraid I may have misheard you. I could have sworn you said you wished to throw a Christmas part-"

"I did!" Grell cut in, still angry about being ignored in favor of a lowly servant. Sebastian's face showed no emotion as he quietly regarded his red-headed fiancée, who was vehemently looking at Ciel.

_What does he have that I don't? I'm more beautiful, smart, and rich than… than… __**that human!**_

"Why, might I ask, are you informing me of such a party?" the demon asked, honestly baffled. The death god threw parties often; Grell tried (and failed) to make the raven-haired man attend, but Sebastian always found a way to decline. Because of that fact, the death god didn't inform him when he was throwing a party anymore. The fact that he was doing so now caused Sebastian to instantly become suspicious. Grell, meanwhile, was annoyed to the extreme. He had been talking for five minutes straight, and it was quite clear that his fiancé hadn't listened to a single melodious word from his beautiful mouth.

_All because of that little bastard!_

"BECAUSE IT IS HAPPENING HERE!" he screeched, angered that he had to repeat himself. Sebastian's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Here, you say? Pray tell, why are you throwing such a party **here**, of all places?" Sebastian asked. Grell honestly couldn't expect for Sebastian to be ecstatic about attending, let alone hosting, a **Christmas** party. The demon didn't like parties in the first place (even though when he attended, he looked like he couldn't be happier to be there), unless there was plenty of sinning going on, in which case, Sebastian would line up potential meals if the sins were bad enough. Grell rolled his eyes and glared at Ciel, whose back was to the pair as he cleaned off the fireplace.

"Because I want to spend more time with you, Sebby!" Grell whined before he moved around the desk to sit in Sebastian's lap. The demon feigned indifference on the outside while he mentally thought of ways to kill the death god on the inside. Some of those images, ranging from sending wild dogs on him to burning him on a stake, appeared in Ciel's mind, and a small smirk developed on the boy's face as he continued cleaning his master's study. The red-haired male pouted before he snuggled against his fiancé's chest. "You are always working or away on some hunting expedition… you rarely have time for me! How am I supposed to feel as your fiancée when we are rarely together?" he finished in a saddened tone. The pale demon sighed before running a hand through his hair.

"When do you wish to throw this party?" he asked tiredly, willing to do anything to get the other man off of his lap. Grell's eyes lit up at Sebastian's question. He practically straddled the other demon (much to said demon's disgust) as he gazed into his eyes.

"Tomorrow, of course! Tomorrow is Christmas Eve after all!" he exclaimed excitedly. Sebastian's brow furrowed at the date of the party.

"Don't you think this is a little late notice? To be able to put together the decorations, prepare the food, invite the gues-"

"Your butler can do all that! He **is** a butler of Michaelis after all; something like this shouldn't be too much for him, riiiight?" Grell asked sneakily before slyly looking at Ciel out of the corner of his eye. Said butler froze at Grell's words, finally turning to face the two immortals with an impassive facial expression. Out of habit, he opened his mouth to speak, but remembering he could no longer do so, he closed it and focused his attention on Sebastian.

'_If the master wishes it, then I have no choice but to fulfill it, correct?'_

'_Ah, you are finally learning…' _Sebastian smirked, causing Ciel to frown disapprovingly. '_Ciel, this is an order: make a proper Christmas party that will not disgrace the Michaelis name.'_ Ciel's contracted eye tingled behind his eye patch as he wordlessly bowed to his master.

'_Yes, my lord.' _He turned to exit, mind racing about how he was supposed to throw a proper Christmas party that wouldn't embarrass the Michaelis name in less than 24 hours.

"Wait!" Grell suddenly called out, moving off of Sebastian's lap. The demon internally sighed with relief as his lap was once again unoccupied. Ciel stopped in his tracks and turned to look at the approaching death god. The red-haired immortal roughly grabbed Ciel by the arm and with a lowly growled, "Come", he dragged the child butler out of Sebastian's study.

Firmly closing the door, Grell led Ciel a little ways away from the door before he released the butler's arm. He faced the boy, all traces of kindness (not that there was much to begin with) gone from his face.

"Look, let me make this clear. I do not like you, and I never will. I do **not** approve of what you do with **my** fiancé every night; however, because you are under contract, I won't kill you for doing such lewd things with him," Grell started off hostilely. Ciel rolled his eyes as a light blush tinted his cheeks.

_Little does he know that we have not engaged in such activity since my attack. Sebastian has only kissed me… and even then, he has been very gentle. He treats me as if I am fine chinaware; he handles me with care, almost like he's afraid that he will break me…_

"Now, listen and listen well. You better not screw this party up. I want tomorrow night to be perfect; I want it to be romantic." His eyes lit up as he imagined Sebastian kissing him while snow lightly fell around them on the balcony. Remembering that Ciel was still there, his eyes became dark again. "Do not try to sabotage things with your slutty tendencies, got it? Sebby is **mine**. This party will be held in such a way that it will reaffirm that. Do you understand?" Grell snarled threateningly. Pride stung from Grell's comment about his "tendencies", Ciel's eyes slightly narrowed before he stiffly nodded. The death god smiled smugly. "Good. Then our conversation is finished." The immortal pranced away but stopped in his tracks as a thought crossed his mind.

"Oh, and you might want to cover your neck a little better. Scars are not appealing to **anyone**, especially to my Sebastian," he cooed teasingly before flipping his hair over his shoulder and heading back to Sebastian's study.

Ciel's hand instantly flew to cover his throat. Madam Red had removed the stitches from his neck wound a few days ago, but she had told him there would be a scar on his neck for the rest of his life. Where his hand was currently resting, a dark brown and thick line ran across the width of his neck; it was very noticeable, even from a distance. Ciel had tried to cover the scar with his high-collared dress shirt, but it was just a little too high; a tiny bit could still be seen. Swallowing, he removed his hand and clenched his fists by his side.

_As if I care about such a vain thing…_

With his head held high, Ciel made his way to the library, mind once again racing with thoughts of making a romantic and proper Christmas party with the limited amount of time he had. Ciel knew he had to look up the proper items that should be included; if there was anything holy, he would have to modify it for the sake of his master.

_Of all holidays, why did Grell have to choose Christmas? Couldn't he have waited till New Years? What is the sudden rush?_

Turning the corner, Ciel suddenly collided with a living mass of color and ribbons. Gasping in surprise, the child butler went tumbling to the ground with whatever he had crashed into. A sudden squeal caused Ciel's eyes to fly open. Shocked, he could only stare into Lizzy's bright-green orbs, which were currently swimming with tears.

"Oh, Ciel!" she cried before wrapping her arms around the fallen butler. Ciel, stunned by the sudden physical contact, froze in her hold. She rubbed her face against Ciel's cheek, tears spilling out of her eyes and running down her cheeks. "Aunty Ann told me about what happened to you! Oh, it's so sad! I'm so sorry that you can't talk anymore, Ciel!" she wailed, hugging Ciel even tighter, causing the boy to silently choke.

_Madam Red told her about my being mute too…_

Sighing, Ciel patted the crying girl's back, simultaneously comforting and telling her to remove herself from him so he could get up. With a gasp of surprise, the blonde removed herself from Ciel and allowed for the slightly shorter boy to stand. Noticing that Lizzy was still crying, Ciel reached into his breast pocket and produced a handkerchief. Silently handing the piece of cloth to the girl, he rubbed the back of his head, which had hit the floor quite hard. With a muffled "thank you", the noble girl wiped her eyes before daintily blowing her nose. She gave the used cloth back to Ciel, who tucked it back into his pocket. With a tired smile, Ciel bowed to the upper-class female, silently greeting her. Lizzy smiled before curtsying. After the formalities were finished, her face fell again.

"I wish there was a way that I could cheer you up, Ciel… It must be horrible not being able to speak!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands in front of her chest. Ciel shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, showing that it didn't really affect him that much. In all honesty, Ciel really didn't feel negatively or positively about his current situation. He was never one to talk to others anyway, so it wasn't like he had to adjust **a lot** to the change. Lizzy blinked with slight confusion. She had thought Ciel would be devastated about losing his voice.

_How can he be okay with never talking again? Perhaps he is hiding his feelings so I don't worry about him? That's not good! Ciel shouldn't have to hide his feelings like that!_

Ciel began to think of ways to stop the girl from crying again when he saw her eyes fill with tears. A brilliant idea popped into the young boy's mind, and he silently grabbed for the other girl's hand. A light blush coloring her cheeks at the other boy's touch, Lizzy made a small squeak of surprise when Ciel politely pulled her behind him.

"H-Huh? Ciel, where are we going? Ciel?" she asked, becoming more confused by Ciel's silence, before remembering that he couldn't say anything to begin with. Saying nothing to calm down his companion, Ciel walked briskly to the library, only slowing down when Lizzy would complain about how fast they were walking.

_Elizabeth is always telling me about the parties she attends. Perhaps she can help me with this party; after all, she __**is**__ a female; she is better at party planning and things of that sort._

Arriving at the library, Ciel released Lizzy's hand and motioned for the girl to enter the room. Giving Ciel a bewildered look, the bubbly blonde walked into the room. Ciel followed a respectful distance behind, closing the door behind him. Stepping over to the sitting area, he motioned again for Lizzy to take a seat. Lizzy did so, looking at Ciel with wide eyes.

"How come we are at the library, Ciel?"

_Do books make Ciel happy? Even though I find them dull, if they make him happy, then I'll read with him for as long as he wants!_

Ciel reached for the feather pen, ink bottle, and paper that were sitting on the desk and began to furiously write. Lizzy watched in awe as Ciel's elegant handwriting quickly filled the top half of the page. When he finished writing his message, he passed the sheet of paper to the girl. Lizzy's eyes slowly read what Ciel wrote; Ciel impatiently waited for her to finish reading. He had to remember that everyone didn't read as quickly as he did. He watched with slight satisfaction as the girl's eyes gradually lit up with excitement. Finished with reading the message, she gleefully leaped from her seat and slammed her hands down on the table between them, causing Ciel to jump slightly.

"Of course I'll help you plan this party, Ciel!" she squealed as her mind began to race with images of sugar plums, mistletoes, and festive candles lighting every part of the manor. "I love Christmas and parties! Oh, Ciel! This is going to be so cute and fun!" she exclaimed before squealing again. The rest of her words were lost to Ciel as she continued ranting about various decorations and other "cute" things.

_Why do I have a feeling that I am going to despise this party as much as a certain red-haired death god despises me?_

**XXX**

Ciel's eyes fluttered shut, cheeks flushed a pretty pink, as Sebastian gently claimed his lips again. It was currently 1:30 AM, and Ciel was nervously sitting in his demon master's lap. Sebastian was sitting comfortably on the side of his bed, gingerly holding Ciel's face in his hands as he continued to gently kiss the boy. Ciel's hands were tightly clasped in his lap as he fidgeted a little, too anxious to touch the other male. For the past week, this was as far as they had gone during Ciel's sex pet time. The demon was diligently heeding Madam Red's suggestion (threat) about not engaging in any sexual activity with his butler until she deemed Ciel fit for such physical exertion.

It was driving Sebastian crazy.

Ciel, on the other hand, was quite content only being kissed by his demon master. He still felt exhausted from the massive amount of blood he had lost; technically, he still should've been resting in his bed, but he had requested (demanded) to return to work the day after his stitches had been removed, much to Madam Red's chagrin.

**FLASHBACK**

"_Ciel! What are you doing up already?" Madam Red cried out in surprise. She had entered the room to find Ciel wobbling around, putting together his uniform for the day. The Phantomhive turned to look at the woman over his shoulder with an unphased look. He held up his suit jacket and mouthed, "Work". The death god's eyes widened in shock before she shook her head and grabbed for the jacket._

"_Out of the question. Your body is still healing; you need to rest a little more, Ciel," she stated in a clipped tone. Ciel shook his head and took the jacket out of the immortal's hands, glaring at her when she opened her mouth to retort. Sighing, the woman watched as Ciel moved to his wardrobe to grab his tie and white gloves. She observed worriedly when Ciel grabbed onto the door of the bureau to keep his balance._

_**There's no way he can return to work so soon. He can barely stand!**_

_A thought popped into her head, causing her to slyly smirk. Faking nonchalance, she watched as Ciel began to gather his clothes into his arms._

"_Alright, Ciel. I won't stop you from fulfilling your duties to the manor…" She watched, inwardly chuckling, as Ciel's face took on a pleased look. "But you do realize that if I allow you to return to those duties, then you will have to fulfill your 'duties' to Sebastian as well," she finished in a slightly sing-song tone of voice._

_Ciel's face instantaneously paled while his eyes widened in horror at the meaning behind the physician's words._

_**I've got him**__, the red-haired death god thought triumphantly. Continuing to act nonchalant, she shrugged her shoulders and made like she was moving to exit the room. "But since you think that you are ready to return to work and your duties, who am I to stop you?" She had to stop herself from giggling as Ciel put his clothes back on the bed, an anxious look on his face._

_**Wait, anxious?**_

_She nearly jumped out of her skin when Ciel grabbed almost desperately onto her arm, worry present in his normal eye. Looking around the room, Ciel finally spotted a piece of paper and a pencil. Writing as quickly as possible, he handed the slip of paper to the death god before looking up at her with large, frightened eyes. The note read:_

_No. Don't make me fulfill my duties to Sebastian. He's been so rough with me lately… violent at times. Make him wait until my body can handle it and please him just the way he wants… Please, Madam Red._

_The woman's eyes widened at both the content of the note and the look in Ciel's eyes. Feeling guilty over her earlier jest, she soothingly stroked the top of Ciel's head, a determined look in her eyes._

"_Alright, Ciel. You just leave it to me."_

**END OF FLASHBACK**

Sebastian pulled away after a moment, analyzing his pet's prettily flushed face. Ciel's eyes slowly reopened, secretly savoring the tender kiss. His dreamy eyes locked with Sebastian's intense ones, and the boy felt his heart flutter dangerously fast, not from excitement, but from fright. He knew that look; Sebastian would give him that look before he tore his body apart with pleasure.

But ever since they had returned from Hell, his actions hadn't been very pleasurable, at least for Ciel. What made his behavior even worse was the fact that it was unpredictable; some nights he would act normally… but other nights he would act like a completely different person. On those nights, the demon was more demanding, more domineering. His actions were rougher, harder, and more painful; at times, Ciel would feel fearful that the other man would break him. His body would be littered in fresh bruises and cuts every time he stumbled out of the man's room. Sebastian would call him names that would hurt Ciel's heart to the point where he would feel tears develop in his eyes just thinking about them. He stopped working towards Ciel's release and **only** stopped after he got his own. The last few times Ciel had been his sex pet, he had been smacked several times in the face, called humiliating names, and forced to do even more humiliating things to pleasure Sebastian. The very last time, the night before he had been mentally attacked, Sebastian had forced Ciel to deep-throat him; then, with no mercy, the demon took Ciel, despite his screams to be gentler and his pleas for Sebastian to slow down.

Trying to hide his fear, the butler quickly looked to the side, not wanting to look in Sebastian's eyes.

"How are the party plans coming along?" the immortal asked after a moment, noticing Ciel's anxiety. Sebastian didn't say anything about Ciel's behavior, even though it aroused his curiosity.

_I do not understand why he is acting so nervous around me. Normally, he would act angry or shy, but never anxious. Have I done something to make him feel like that? I do not recall doing anything differently… I have been treating him kindly, but that's so he will feel better. If I didn't know any better, I would say that he was scared of me. But that cannot be right because I have not done anything to make him feel that way. Perhaps Father Gregory's mate's attack caused Ciel to become frightened of all demons? No… Ciel is not like most humans; he would not be scared of a whole race simply because of one attack. But if that is the case, then __**why**__ is he acting so peculiarly?_

Ciel blinked, thrown off by the random question, before he turned to look at his master. He breathed a silent sigh of relief when he saw the intense look in Sebastian's eyes had been replaced with a nonchalant one.

'_All of the decorations have been ordered and should be delivered later today. The food has been decided and will be prepared by me since our 'chef' has been given the day off…'_

Sebastian chuckled at the "coincidence", knowing that Ciel had purposely chosen for today, December 24th, to be Bard's day off. He nodded, and Ciel continued "speaking" dutifully.

'_The orchestra should arrive sometime around eight this evening. The invitations were sent out at five in the afternoon yesterday, so anyone who wishes to attend knows of the date and location and should arrive no later than 8:15 tonight. Counting those who wish to be 'fashionably' late, the party should be in full swing by 8:45. Food will be presented on platters… I did not prepare anything too heavy considering the time of the party. I have also decided to have Maylene and Finnian be the servers; however, I will serve the more important items, such as the drinks and the most appetizing foods. The main hall will be cleared of all obstructions so that it can be converted into a dance hall. To keep with the holiday spirit, I asked for each guest to bring a gift to give to someone who they know will be attending or to you, my lord. And-'_

Ciel's thoughts were abruptly cut off when Sebastian softly rested a hand on Ciel's cheek. Eyes narrowed while his heart rate increased slightly, Ciel looked back and forth between Sebastian's face and the hand on his cheek. Smirking, Sebastian gently stroked Ciel's cheek.

"For you to be able to prepare everything so wonderfully in such a short amount of time pleases me greatly, my pet. To think, you did all of that just for my sake-"

Ciel huffed, causing the immortal to raise an eyebrow with an amused glint in his eyes. Ciel crossed his arms over his chest and resolutely shook his head.

'_Do not be so conceited, Master. I did not do all of this work __**just**__ for you. As a butler of Michaelis, if this party were to fail it would reflect badly on __**me**__. I cannot allow for my reputation to be sullied in such a way,'_ Ciel stated. Sebastian's smirk widened at Ciel's statement before he leaned closer to Ciel, his lips mere centimeters away from Ciel's frowning ones.

"That pride of yours is a grave sin, my pet," the demon pointed out with amusement. Ciel rolled his eyes in response. Sebastian chuckled before leaning even closer, eyes watching as Ciel's cheeks slowly colored. "But I find pride to be quite a boring sin… Now, **lust** is a sin that **always** satisfies me," he whispered seductively, watching as Ciel's eyes widened slightly before narrowing again.

'_Pervert.'_

"Whatever you say, Ciel," Sebastian responded mockingly before giving his butler a teasing kiss, switching their positions so Ciel was straddling him. Ciel silently protested, immensely embarrassed by the provocative position, by beating his small fists against Sebastian's shoulders. He squirmed in Sebastian's lap as he glared with pure hatred and killer intent into Sebastian's smirking eyes.

_Ah yes, tonight should be __**quite**__ interesting._

**XXX**

Ciel walked into the dance hall, stopped, and promptly turned to leave, planning on heading back to the kitchen to continue preparing the food for the party.

Too bad Lizzy saw him and proceeded to drag him back into the decorated room. "Doesn't it look cute, Ciel?" she asked excitedly, eyes gleaming with happiness and adoration at the sight of the room.

The boy could only stare blankly, eyes practically blinded by the amount of red and green that covered the once monochrome area. Twisted together, red and green streamers draped from the rafters, ornaments hanging off of them to remind the partygoers that it was a Christmas party and not just a regular social event. The walls were covered with wreaths, and sprigs of holly were positioned in every corner of the room, almost as if Lizzy didn't want for **any** part of the room to be undecorated. Where a wreath wasn't placed, paper snowflakes filled the space, each one different in design and size. Looking to the side, Ciel gaped at the sight of the large Christmas tree that was still being decorated by Maylene (who had to stand on a ladder to even get close to the top of the tree. Even then, the woman had to stand on her tiptoes to actually reach the top). It occupied an entire corner of the room and then some, filling the entrance-turned-dance hall with a fresh pine scent. A red skirt with white trim surrounded the bottom of the tree. Candles with alternating red and green ribbons were being carefully placed on the sturdiest branches, while ornaments were placed on the slightly weaker ones. Tinsel was haphazardly strewn all over the hall, causing the room to have an unnaturally bright shine to it. The butler looked up and could only stare at the chandelier that was now wrapped in red and green ribbons. Everything looked very Christmas-like…

… except for the plant that was hanging in the middle of a doorway that led to the dining room. Looking perplexed, Ciel walked over to the doorway and looked pointedly at the plant before looking at Lizzy, silently asking her why it had been placed there. Green eyes taking on a slightly dreamy look, the blonde girl moved closer to the butler and giggled at the look on Ciel's face.

"That's mistletoe, Ciel. You told me that Uncle Grell wanted tonight to be romantic too! This will definitely add romance to this party!" she exclaimed breathlessly, eyes becoming dreamier and dreamier the more she thought about all the couples who would pass under the Christmas plant. Ciel, completely lost, tapped his foot impatiently on the recently waxed floor, catching the daydreaming girl's attention.

"How?" Ciel mouthed, slightly annoyed at his lack of knowledge about mistletoe and its purposes. The dark-haired boy's confusion increased tenfold at the sight of the blonde girl's cheeks slightly flushing.

"Y-You don't know, Ciel?" she asked hesitantly, trying not to embarrass Ciel because of his lack of knowledge. The butler firmly shook his head. Heart fluttering at the romantic thoughts in her head, she smiled brightly, her eyes once again taking on a dreamy look.

"Well, when a couple walks under the mistletoe, or if a man and a woman happen to pass under it at the same time, then they have to kiss each other! The man plucks a berry off of the mistletoe every time he kisses the lady, and they kiss until all the berries run out or when they just want to stop (1). Isn't that so romantic, Ciel?" she asked with enthusiasm. Ciel's lack of enthusiasm clearly answered Lizzy's question.

_How stupid… That is just an excuse to kiss in public. I swear, people will use __**any**__ excuse to participate in behaviors and activities that are socially inappropriate. It is truly a shame. I hope I do not have to see anyone kiss under the mistletoe tonight. Especially Grell… not that I have anything against him kissing anyone. It's just that he would most likely turn a chaste kiss into something that should only take place behind closed doors. And if he happens to behave in such a way with my Master… well, that will be a disgrace to the Michaelis name, which in turn will be a disgrace to __**my**__ position as head butler. No, if anything, this mistletoe will need to be removed for the sake of the properness of this party._

Lizzy pouted childishly at Ciel's lack of enthusiasm for the mistletoe. "Ciel, you are so unromantic!" she accused in a whining tone of voice. Ciel rolled his eyes, unaffected by the blonde girl's accusation; he had more important things to be deficient in besides romance. The noble girl huffed, stamping her foot, before she saw something cute that caught her attention. Squealing at the presence of the cute object, she went bouncing off, a once again bubbly ball of ribbons and bows. Ciel glared up at the hanging plant and stared it down for a minute before he sighed. He would deal with the menacing decoration at a later time; he had to prepare afternoon tea for his master and Grell.

Walking stiffly out of the main entranceway, not even bothering to announce his departure (not as if he could), the child butler made his way to the kitchen. As he entered the familiar setting, he was nearly drowned in a wave of frosting. Due to his quick reflexes, Ciel was able to dodge the stream of the sweet substance. He looked at where he had been standing to see a huge glob of white frosting slowly sliding down the wall. Glaring to see who had attacked him, he could only stare in shock and annoyance at Bard and Finny, who were running around the kitchen as if it was a playground. The red-haired gardener was wailing as he clutched onto a tube of white frosting. He was currently being chased by the blond-haired cook, a look of irritation on the cook's face.

"Finny, you idiot! Give me the frosting!" he yelled, face red from exertion and anger. Finny only wailed louder as he rounded the corner of a counter, holding onto the tube even tighter.

"B-But I want t-to help decorate the c-cakes!" he cried. Bard growled, the cigarette between his teeth clenched so tightly that the tip was about to separate and fall off.

"No! That's **my** job! **I'm** the chef!" Bard retorted as he closed in on Finny. The younger male ran even faster, dashing around the kitchen as if his life depended on it; judging by the look on Bard's face, that possibility was not completely asinine. Ciel sighed with both irritation and resignation, waiting impatiently for a chance to interject into the conflict. His chance came when Finny ran right by him, practically screaming bloody murder. With a calm facial expression and quick hands, the child butler snatched the tube of frosting right out of Finny's hands. The red-head gaped at his now empty hands, no longer paying attention to where his feet were headed. Bard was so focused on strangling Finny that he wasn't paying attention either.

**CRASH!**

"AAAAAAHHHHH!"

Ciel sighed again, not even affected by the twin yelps of pain and surprise as the chef and the gardener crashed into the pantry. The duo fell back onto their butts, Finny landing on top of Bard, who released a grunt of pain. The child's blue eye traveled up to the top of the pantry where two containers of flour where tottering precariously on the edge of the storage area. He watched, uninterested, as the containers of flour fell onto the two males. A cloud of flour filled the air, accompanied by a pair of coughs and sneezes. Ciel sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

_What __**am**__ I going to do with those two?_

The child butler decided to focus on something else to keep his mind off of thoughts of murder… or at least severe punishment. He looked at the rest of the kitchen, relieved and a little surprised to see that the majority of the dishes he had prepared earlier that morning had been left untouched by the chaos that was Bard and Finny.

He focused on the multi-tiered cake in the center of the kitchen, stacked and balanced on decorative stilts that were shaped like Christmas trees. The cake was round of course (easier to stack) and vanilla-flavored. At the very top of the cake was a perfectly shaped snowflake, made entirely out of vanilla-flavored icing. It was intricately designed, sharp in all the right places, and carved so that the center had a vast array of geometric shapes ranging from circles to triangles. The boy had added sugar crystals into the frosting mix to make the snowflake shimmer and shine. Ciel had then taken nearly three hours making the little frosting figures of snowmen, nutcrackers, reindeer, and Santas that were placed in the center of each layer of the cake. The figures were organized so that there was only one type of each on a layer of the cake. He had then meticulously painted red and green ornaments onto the sides of each layer, using a smaller-tipped icing dispenser. The cake was Ciel's pride and joy; perfect enough to please his Master's eyes and the guests' mouths. The only thing that was missing from the cake that was probably a tad taller than Ciel was the white frosting to decorate the edges of the round cake layers. It would give the cake the appearance of having snow trimming it, finishing off the wintry look and theme.

Ciel tore his eyes away from his creation to focus on his fellow servants. Covered in flour, Bard and Finny were still sneezing, wiping under their noses miserably. When Ciel saw that Bard was about to start yelling at Finny, he stepped towards the pair. Kneeling on the floor, he used the tip of his gloved finger to write in the flour dust that covered the area. The older males watched as the butler wrote; when he finished, they moved to read what he had written.

_If you two are done fooling around and destroying the kitchen, I have an important job for the two of you._

Finny's eyes lit up excitedly while Bard had a proud look on his face.

"What do you want us to do, Ciel?" Finny asked ecstatically. Bard looked expectantly at the dark-haired boy, internally jumping with excitement. Ciel silently moved off of the floor, wiping his flour-coated trousers before he walked out of the kitchen. The two servants looked at the door before they looked at each other with confusion, wondering why the boy had suddenly left. Ciel returned a few minutes later with a mop, broom, dustpan, bucket of water, and blank facial expression. Wordlessly, he dumped all of the items except for the bucket of water onto the older males. Finny yelped when the broom fell onto the floor. Bard rubbed at his forehead that had been whacked by the handle of the mop. With a stern facial expression, Ciel pointed at the mess they had made in the kitchen before looking sharply at them.

"Clean up this mess immediately. I want this kitchen to be **spotless**. Once you are done with doing that, get dressed in your outfits that I have lain out on your respective beds. Do you two understand?" he mouthed before setting his mouth in a firm line. He refused to have his reputation as the Michaelis butler ruined by the blonde and the redhead sitting in the pile of flour on the floor. Hopes perpetually crushed, the pair nodded solemnly, eyes saddened since both of them weren't going to be able to frost the cake. Ciel looked down silently at the older males before he sighed.

"If you do so quickly, you can have a taste of the frosting…" he mouthed.

Finny's eyes instantly lit up with child-like happiness; Bard was equally pleased, but he hid his happiness, choosing only to smile with a hint of joy at the child butler.

"Yes, sir!" they called out simultaneously.

**XXX**

'_Lean down, my lord…_'

"Ooh? Are you already asking for a kiss? How polite of you, my pet…" Sebastian responded, eyes teasing. Ciel glared up at the taller male, clearly not in the mood for his jests.

'_Shut up and try to not be a pervert for once in your immortal life.'_

"Now, now, there is no need to be so hostile. Just because it seems as if Nature is playing a cruel joke on you for making you shorter than the average male of 13 years…"

'_What? That's preposterous! My height has __**nothing**__ to do with this! And besides, I'm perfectly normal; any boy who is taller than me is abnormal,' _Ciel said in a pissed tone. His eyes were threatening, daring the demon to try and tease him about his height or go against his logic.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, smirking down at the angered petite boy. "Well, that's quite a large number of abnormalities in the human race…"

'_Master!' _Ciel cut in hostilely, eyes flashing as he grinded his teeth together. He already knew that he wasn't exactly the tallest boy in his age group… or among living species for that matter. All he had to do was tilt his head **way** back to look at Sebastian; it was all the evidence he needed. But that didn't mean he wanted to be reminded of his lack of height… **especially** by Sebastian of all people. [_Just because he's freakishly tall doesn't mean that he should insult me for my… temporary lack of height. Just wait; soon, I'll be as tall if not taller than him. __**Then**__ we'll see who has the last laugh…_] Ciel privately thought with vengeance. Smugly smirking, Sebastian chuckled with amusement before he poked at the area between Ciel's glaring eyes.

"You really shouldn't glare so much. Wrinkles are quite unappealing on pretty faces like yours," Sebastian said, eyes again teasing. Ciel huffed before slapping Sebastian's hand away from his forehead.

'_Can you __**please**__ lean down so that I may tie your tie? Honestly, it should __**not**__ take three hours to get dressed!' _Ciel complained, moody from being around Sebastian for such a long period of time. The demon raised an eyebrow before finally leaning down.

"I cannot help that I wish to look my best for my guests. Besides, if my memory serves me correctly, a certain human was resisting my advances the entire time. Instead of just complying with my thoughtful requests, he decided to fight against me, making the task of dressing me much longer than it needed to be…" Sebastian said, looking at Ciel with amused eyes. The young teen snorted, focusing on the silky material in his hand instead of the sharply-dressed demon it was being tied to. Once it was tied to Ciel's liking, the boy released the tie and stepped away from his master.

The demon, who normally dressed in dark (mainly black) colors, was now dressed in an all-white tuxedo. The buttons on the demon's tailcoat were polished so they shone brightly, looking like pure silver gems. His white dress pants had been ironed with extensive care, and his white shoes were polished and shiny. He also had a white cane to go with his outfit; on top of the cane that was leaning against the bed was a white top hat. Of course, Sebastian was wearing white gloves that were probably whiter than the purest snow. The only thing that was a different color on the outfit was the vest worn underneath the pure white tailcoat, which was a very light-blue.

The raven-haired male turned to look at himself in the mirror, focusing on the well-tied silk tie. "Well done, my pet. You managed to tie a suitable knot," he said with slight surprise. Ciel's eyebrow twitched slightly at the hint of surprise in his master's tone, but he didn't say anything about it.

'_You look quite different when you are not dressed in the exact same colors…' _Ciel commented honestly, still trying to get used to seeing Sebastian in something light-colored for a change. Sebastian twisted and turned around, looking at himself in all his white-colored glory. He frowned, a critical look on his immaculate face.

"I don't like this look," he said after a while. Ciel rolled his eyes and went to the bed to retrieve his master's cane and top hat.

'_Too bad. It is what your fiancée wishes for you to wear, and it is too late to change your entire outfit. You will just have to deal with it,' _he said before thrusting the cane and hat at Sebastian. The demon ignored his human butler and continued to stare at himself.

"But I am quite uncomfortable in this. I do not feel like I am being true to myself," Sebastian stated seriously. Ciel sighed and forced Sebastian to hold the cane before he moved to the stool by the mirror. Pissed that he had to use it, the child butler stepped onto the stool and gingerly set the white top hat on Sebastian's head.

'_You are being ridiculous, my lord. You are still the same perverted, lazy, and arrogant demon that I know and despise with a passion,'_ Ciel replied in a matter-of-face tone. He jumped off of the stool and stood beside his master. Sebastian cocked his head to the side.

"Was that supposed to cheer me up? If so, you need to work on your-" Sebastian never finished that statement. Ciel had jumped back onto the stool and was currently kissing him sweetly on the cheek. The demon's red eyes widened to comic proportions at the unexpected romantic gesture. Ciel quickly pulled away, not meeting his master's stunned gaze. His cheeks were as red as Sebastian's ruby eyes.

'_Better? Honestly, you look handsome as always, Master.'_ With that final remark, Ciel bowed and quickly exited the room, not waiting for Sebastian to come out of his shocked state. The child butler leaned against the door of his master's bedroom, heart pounding and cheeks still stained an endearing red. He placed a hand over his heart as he tried to calm himself.

[_Why did I just do that? There was no need for me to do such a thing. I mean, I know I was just thinking of a way to simultaneously shut and cheer him up, but now he will get the wrong idea!_]

Ciel inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, feeling his cheeks gradually calm down. He swallowed and moved away from the door. _I do not have the time to be thinking of such frivolous things! I have to get myself ready for this party! _With that final thought and a look of determination, Ciel walked quickly to his room, pushing all thoughts of Sebastian and kissing to the back of his mind. He entered his room, slightly apprehensive for a moment. He sighed and closed the door once he was sure there were no stalker demons hiding somewhere in his room. Ever since he had been attacked by Father Gregory's mate, Ciel had been slightly afraid to be alone in his room. In fact, the day Sebastian finally left his room because Madam Red said that the boy was medically stable, Ciel nearly had a panic attack. Of course, he never told anyone about that particular moment of weakness. He was already ashamed that he had to depend on his master for a week; he didn't want to add on to his personal shame.

The child butler sighed again before he moved to his wardrobe. Sebastian had told him that an outfit had been picked out by his fiancée and that he would find it among his other uniforms. Ciel was slightly curious and confused as to why Grell had taken the time to pick out an outfit for a mere servant (especially one he hated), but when he opened the wardrobe, he got his answer. On a white-colored butler outfit, the word, "Slutface", was painted in bold, red letters across the front. White-hot anger raced through Ciel before he angrily slammed the doors of his bureau shut. Shaking with rage, the boy remained motionless as he attempted to calm himself down.

_That… That bastard! How __**dare**__ he make such an accusation against me? Slutface? What is he, a teenager?_

Ciel stormed away from the wardrobe and threw himself onto his bed, pissed beyond words. He had known that Grell hated him, but for him to go so far as to slander his good name on a perfectly fine suit was too much. Hatred towards the red-haired death god grew inside the little human. His hands clenched and unclenched in his sheets as he tried and failed several times to calm himself. Oh, what he would give to be able to punch the flamboyant reaper in the face. A cruel smile formed on the child's face just at the thought. He huffed and rolled over, glaring moodily at the ceiling.

[_Why am __**I**__ the one always being targeted? I didn't even want to have sex with Sebastian in the first place! And yet, Grell treats the whole situation as if it's __**my**__ fault! As if __**I**__ started everything! If anything, __**I **__should be the one who is angry! I was dragged into this life of servitude completely against my will! IT'S SO UNFAIR! Everyone else can act childishly and do whatever the hell they want without repercussions, but God forbid __**I**__ do something out of line, I get punished for it!_]

He frowned angrily before he sighed. It would do no good to get angry about something that he couldn't change. He would just have to find out a way to get the red stain out of the suit. A small smirk formed on his face. If he showed up to the party in a pristine, all-white butler suit, Grell would certainly be pissed at his plan being foiled. With images of an overdramatic reaper in a rage filling his pretty little head, Ciel moved off of the bed and back to his wardrobe. He pulled the ruined suit from its hanger and spread it out on the bed.

He could feel a flash of anger run through his body just looking at the crudely-written letters, but he shoved that feeling down as quickly as it rose inside of him. There was no way that he could remove the stain by simple washing and treating methods. A contemplative look formed on the young teen's face as he continued to look at the accusatory letters. From what he could see, the words weren't written in a dye of some sort. On closer inspection, he found that the letters were written with red paint. Ciel tentatively ran a gloved thumb over the "S" in "Slutface". He blinked with surprise as the paint easily flaked off from his gentle touch. Intrigued, Ciel started rubbing the "S" a little harder; a small smirk formed on his face as even more paint chips flaked off and fell onto the bed.

_Leave it to someone like Grell to buy such cheap paint._

The boy set down to the arduous task of picking off the paint that formed the slanderous word. When the "e" in "Slutface" was completely picked off, Ciel pulled away with a self-satisfied sigh. Although the red stain wasn't completely gone, at least it wasn't so prominent.

_But how will I get rid of a red stain on a pure white suit?_

A brilliant idea popped into Ciel's head, and he gave himself a mental pat on the back. _If only you knew who you were messing with Grell…_

The child butler exited his bedroom and headed for the wash room, practically teeming with confidence and sadistic happiness; after all, everyone likes to ruin their enemy's plans. His sadistic happiness was slightly quelled when he had to pull out a stool to reach what he needed, but only slightly. Ciel held the box of bleach powder in his hand and smirked (2). Bleach was used to make white things whiter; it would certainly work on taking out a red stain on his white suit. The servant walked back to his bedroom and took the suit to his bathroom. He soaked the suit jacket in the sink before sprinkling the bleach onto the red stains. He vigorously rubbed the bleach into the stain and breathed a sigh of relief when the red was replaced by a clean and bright white. He pulled the jacket out of the sink and looked at his handiwork with an accomplished smirk. The suit looked like new; yes, it was dripping wet, but it was white.

Ciel walked back to the washroom, checking his pocket watch as he walked. It was currently 7:35 PM; he had plenty of time to dry his coat and dress himself before even the early guests arrived. Feeling accomplished, the child butler entered the washroom and put his recently bleached coat through the dryer. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the pure white coat fall into the basket. It was a little wrinkled, but a quick ironing job would take the offending things right out. Ciel picked up the coat and walked over to the ironing board. He heated the iron and professionally ironed out the wrinkles in the once-ruined suit jacket. Pride filling his entire being as he held up the clean and unblemished coat, Ciel couldn't stop a small smile from forming on his face.

He exited the washroom and returned his bedroom. He placed the clean jacket on top of the rest of the outfit and started to change out of his stiff and dark suit. He removed his pocket watch from the pocket of his tailcoat and placed it on the bed. His eyes lingered on the beautiful watch for a moment before he tore them away; he had to focus on changing, not pondering on the origins of the watch. The butler unbuttoned his black tailcoat and folded it neatly, setting it off to the side so that he would remember to properly hang it at a later time. He loosened his black tie before untying it and also folding it, setting it on top of the folded tailcoat. He quickly unbuttoned his vest and dress shirt, shrugging out of the materials and allowing for them to fall to the floor. Unwillingly, his eyes focused on the hideous scar on his neck. He swallowed unsteadily and placed a hand over it, closing his eyes and willing down the bile that was starting to accumulate in his mouth. Looking at the scar made him have flashbacks of that fateful night.

[_If I had just listened to my instincts, I would still be able to talk. I wouldn't have to try and cover up this hideous scar because it would be nonexistent. Even though I want to move on with no regrets, I… have regrets. My own foolishness caused this; I could've done more to make Sebastian stay with me. I could've just gone with him to meet the mysterious person. But no, I decided to keep my mouth shut… And now I can't call out to him, to anyone, anymore._]

His eyes stung as he continued to berate himself with his regrets. Slowly, he opened his eyes and removed his hand from his scar. The dark brown line was just so noticeable against his pale skin; he looked apprehensively at the suit Grell brought him. Hopefully it covered the scar; if not, Ciel had a long night of whispers, stares, and alienation ahead of him.

No longer pleased even by the thought of ruining Grell's plan, Ciel solemnly put on the brand new dress shirt and vest. Unlike Sebastian, all of his clothing was white; if his outfit had looked like Sebastian's, the nobles surely would have been in an uproar. Ciel smirked humorlessly at the thought.

_Honestly, people in high society have such frivolous concerns. Who cares if a servant matches his master?_

Brow furrowing in concentration, Ciel attempted to tie the silky white tie as professionally as possible. His eyebrow twitched when it was slightly off-center, but since he was already in a bad mood, he found that he didn't give a damn. He removed his butler gloves and donned dress ones; to him, they looked exactly the same as his regular ones, but he snorted when the thought crossed his mind that the nobles would probably notice the difference. Wiggling his fingers in the silken material, he nodded when he found that they didn't restrict his fingers' movements. It would be quite troublesome if he couldn't move his fingers properly to attend to his duties during the party. Ciel sighed and moved to take off his trousers. In all honesty, Ciel was not at all excited about this party; it was not as if he was actually going to participate in anything in the first place. For him, it was just another night of work, only he had to act polite and respectable to even the most boisterous of guests.

Folding the trousers and the dropped dress shirt and vest, Ciel donned the white dress pants and was surprised to see a pair of white dress shoes on the bed as well.

_Looks as if Grell was more generous than I had hoped…_

He slipped out of his working shoes and slid on the shoes, expertly tying the laces; he straightened himself out and looked at himself in the mirror. Thankfully, the collar was high enough on his dress shirt that it covered the ugly scar. It was a very well-designed butler suit, elegant yet reserved. Ciel smoothed out offending wrinkles and fixed his hair to the best of his abilities. He was dressed in all-white; the only thing that was a different color was his black eye patch. Ciel glanced at the bed and sighed; Grell didn't go as far as he hoped to make sure he matched completely. The child butler brushed his bangs more to the side with the eye patch to better cover it; not only was it a symbol of his disability, but it also didn't match the rest of his outfit. Again, Ciel didn't really care but when it came to high society, such a thing could cause quite the uproar.

Smirking sardonically, Ciel removed his normal uniform from his bed and hung it in his wardrobe. He reached for the pocket watch on his bed and clipped one end to the hook on the inside of his jacket; he slipped the accessory into the inside pocket on the opposite side of the jacket, making sure that the polished chain was visible across his midsection. Looking himself over one last time, he fixed little things on his attire, such as straightening out his collar and picking off random threads. When he was finally satisfied, he pulled out his pocket watch and nodded. It was now 7:57 PM; he had enough time to do one last minute check of the food preparations and the dance hall before he needed to be outside to greet the guests. Sighing, Ciel exited and secured his room, walking down the hall with a disgruntled facial expression. The sooner this party was over, the better.

The child butler rounded the corner and nearly froze in his tracks. Sebastian was currently walking leisurely down the hall, no doubt looking over the manor to make sure that it was presentable enough in case some of the nosier guests decided to look around the place. He was absentmindedly twirling and twisting a piece of fabric in his hands as he looked around the hallway. Ciel silently ran through several options to avoid running into his older demon master; who knew what Sebastian would do after that kiss on the cheek?

[_Let's see… I can always nonchalantly turn around and go the other way to the kitchens. He isn't looking in my direction at the moment, so I do have a chance to escape. Or I could hide in one of these rooms. Well, maybe he doesn't think much of that kiss on the cheek; I certainly don't! There was no meaning behind it whatsoever… at least, romantically anyway. Ugh, just the thought of doing something for a romantic reason with Sebastian disgusts me! Ahem, maybe I should just walk past him as quickly as possible. Yes, that seems to be the best option: he could attack me from behind if I tried to turn around now, and he could probably take advantage of me if I hid in a room. Alright then… I'll just have to keep my head down to avoid all eye contact and move at a nonchalant but quick pace. Yes, that's it._]

Plan in mind, Ciel proceeded to bow his head and slightly quicken his pace. Sebastian raised an eyebrow as Ciel moved to walk right past him. He smirked, deciding to play around with his meal. When Ciel was a few feet past him, no doubt feeling as if his mission had been accomplished (which he did), Sebastian turned around.

"Pet? I believe you forgot to do something," he called out in a teasing tone. Ciel froze and gritted his teeth, pissed that his plan had been foiled.

_Damn demon…_

'_I heard that…'_

…

Ciel sighed and turned around to face his master… who was literally less than 10 inches away from him. Ciel's eyes widened in surprise at the demon's close proximity.

[_Must he always move without being detected? Honestly, he's such a show-off…_]

Sebastian's smirk widened at Ciel's wide-eyed facial expression. Deciding to tease his adorable pet even more, he leaned down to whisper in Ciel's ear. "I believe you forgot something when you did that little kiss-and-run," he whispered hotly, purposely putting his lips close enough to where Ciel could feel them brush against his ear. The boy shivered, face flushing a little. He swallowed nervously and calmed himself down, trying to think about what he could've possibly left behind. He didn't remember bringing anything into the room besides Sebastian's outfit.

'_What nonsense are you spewing, my lord? I did not bring anything in the room with me,' _Ciel responded in an annoyed tone. Sebastian chuckled and moved away from Ciel's ear. Gently, he rested a hand on Ciel's cheek. Ciel's eyes widened even more as he looked up to see Sebastian regarding him with intense eyes. The feel of the man's cool hand on his face alerted Ciel to the fact that he was blushing, which only made him even more flustered.

[_What is wrong with me? He's just touching my face and looking at me… with intense eyes. This is nothing to blush about!_]

Despite his thoughts, he could feel his blush intensifying with every passing second. Trying to figure out what could possibly be on the demon's mind, he moved to remove the older male's hand from his face, but the hand moved, causing Ciel to freeze in place. Tenderly, Sebastian's hand moved up the side of Ciel's face, his eyes looking deep into Ciel's confused one. His gloved hand slowly moved under the boy's black eye patch; Ciel gasped when he felt the material fall off of his face and onto the floor. Now looking up at Sebastian with both eyes, Ciel's confusion increased tenfold. Sebastian chuckled and held up the piece of fabric he had been absentmindedly playing with earlier. Ciel felt his breath catch when he realized that it was a pure white eye patch.

"We can't have anything on you looking out of place, now can we?" Sebastian stated with slight humor as he winked. Ciel was honestly speechless; he hadn't expected for his master to go through the effort of having a white eye patch available to him for the party. He could only nod dumbly, eyes still wide. Sebastian's facial expression softened as he leaned down and, with a hint of tenderness, put the white eye patch on Ciel. Ciel noted that the material of this eye patch was different from the cotton one he normally wore; it felt lighter, softer, and much more comfortable. The demon pulled away to appraise his servant; he nodded with approval.

"You look much better, my pet. Much more coordinated if you ask me," Sebastian commented. Ciel didn't say anything; he merely brought a hand up to his covered eye, a thoughtful look on his face. Sebastian's smirk morphed into a small smile, his voice taking on a softer, tenderer tone as he said, "You look just as pure as the whitest snow, Ciel."

Ciel's heart skipped a beat at both Sebastian's tone and his words. He shakily opened his mouth to speak before he remembered that he lost that ability. He closed his mouth and looked off to the side.

'_You know that I am the exact opposite of that, yes? To describe me as pure is almost an insult, my lord…' _Ciel responded in a tone filled with melancholy. Sebastian blinked before he chuckled softly.

"No matter what you may have done in my bedroom or in your past, you are still and always will be, my pure pet," Sebastian stated. Ciel's head snapped in Sebastian's direction, eyes wide with surprise. He looked deep into the older male's eyes, but there was an unrecognizable look that he had never seen before.

'_Isn't that the exact opposite of what you would want for your meal, my lord?'_

Sebastian paused as he contemplated his pet's question. "With you, I think I can make an exception," he said in a serious, but soft tone.

Almost like everything was happening in slow motion, Sebastian's hand reached to cup the back of Ciel's neck. Very gently, Ciel felt his head being pulled backwards so that he was looking straight up at the much taller noble. The young teen felt a hand wrap around his waist and pull him closer to his demon master. Automatically, Ciel's hands moved to rest on Sebastian's chest, his eyes gazing intently into ruby-red depths. For just that moment, the world seemed to stop around the pair; Ciel was only aware of his master, and Sebastian was only aware of his pet. Nothing else existed; nothing else mattered.

And just like that, the moment was shattered.

Ciel felt pressure on the back of his neck, gently guiding his head up to be closer to Sebastian's. The demon's eyes lidded and Ciel felt his own lower as well.

Closer… Closer…

Ciel could feel Sebastian's breath tickling his lips from their closeness.

And then, contact.

With a kiss that would leave women swooning and men jealous of their lack of romanticism, Sebastian made Ciel's heart practically explode as his lips gently captured his butler's. Ciel felt his knees go weak as Sebastian deepened the kiss. His face was tinged a light pink, and he had to keep reminding himself to breathe. His hands trembled against his master's strong chest; the boy didn't know if he should push Sebastian away or pull him closer. The kiss was clouding his mind and leaving all thought-processes at a standstill; all thoughts of protest were being decimated with each passing second. And then, Ciel closed his eyes… and decided to let go of his inhibitions. Standing on his tiptoes, the boy tilted his head to further deepen the kiss and kissed his master back.

The immortal had not expected that.

At all.

He had expected for Ciel to push him away, to hit him, to berate him… NOT to kiss him back. But the demon was not complaining; to the contrary. The demon was quite pleased. He expressed his pleasure through the kiss, murmuring sweet things against his pet's soft and wet lips. Ciel had no idea what he was doing; he kept mentally responding to the sweet things his master murmured against his lips with words and promises he never imagined he would say. He felt like he was in a dream; every sensation, every word, every brush of his master's lips against his own felt so unreal. Passion was filtering into the kiss, and with it, feelings of want, need, **desire** filled the boy's consciousness and body. It was becoming too much for him to handle; at any moment, he felt like he was going to faint. And suddenly, he was floating.

Well, to be realistic, he wasn't **actually **floating. Sebastian was starting to feel passion for the young child race through his body, and he had removed his hands from Ciel's neck and waist to rest on the back of his thighs and pick him up, pressing him against the wall. Ciel wrapped his arms around his master's neck and allowed for the demon to do whatever he pleased.

**XXX**

"Mmmm…"

Grell, who had been walking down a hall parallel to the one where Sebastian and Ciel were currently passionately kissing, stopped dead in his tracks. The death god had been looking for his fiancé to try and privately apologize before the party started. They had gotten in a HUGE fight (well, Grell thought it was huge; Sebastian couldn't give two-shits about it) over the death god's attire. While the demon was dressed in a white suit, the other immortal had vied for a bright red tuxedo with white, fluffy trim at the bottom of the pants, the cuffs of the suit jacket, and around the rim of the red top hat. Sebastian had vehemently (nonchalantly) pointed out the outfit's color, and the death god had responded overdramatically, thinking that Sebastian had a hatred for his entire existence (which wasn't far off from the truth, but let's focus on the fight…). Sebastian had started yelling (he raised an eyebrow and spoke calmly) and asked why he wasn't wearing white so they matched. Grell, again, had taken the inquiry to heart and had proceeded to throw a vase at the demon's head, screaming that he hated him. The immortal had blocked the attack and stomped (walked) out of the room with a roar of rage (a sigh of exhaustion). Grell had taken a walk and had thought about his actions; he then declared to the sky (since he had been walking outside) that he could not live without his true love and ran back into the manor to find his fiancé and apologize.

Well, it was more like stalking since he had been hiding behind plants and inside suits of armor whenever the demon would turn around or glance over his shoulder, but who cares about details, right?

Sebastian's fiancée raised an eyebrow at the provocative sound. When he heard the rustle of clothing and a loud gasp, Grell instantly thought of the mute slutface that worked in his fiancé's manor. Blinded by rage, the immortal dashed from his position in the hall to confront the promiscuous butler.

_That whore is probably masturbating in Sebastian's halls! I'll show him what it means to gasp in my Sebby's manor while he does such a scandalous thing! He's probably imagining __**my**__ fiancé, but I won't allow him to get away with doing that! Sebby is mine; only __**I**__ can masturbate to thoughts of him!_

The red-haired immortal rounded the corner and froze in his tracks. Instead of seeing the lecherous boy spread out on the floor with his pants around his ankles and his hands pumping his member, he saw Sebastian holding the petite boy against a wall… and passionately kissing him. At first, Grell thought he was seeing a figment of his imagination.

"Mmm… Ciel, so pure…"

A light smack from Ciel was delivered to the back of Sebastian's head in response to his statement.

Sebastian's chuckle and husky tone as he continued to whisper and wetly kiss the child filled Grell's ears and thoughts. The death god felt his heart shatter to a million pieces as he watched one of Ciel's gloved hands move from around Sebastian's neck to tangle in his hair, knocking the top hat off of Sebastian's head. The heartbroken immortal waited for some reprimand for messing with Sebastian's style from the demon, but his fiancé just continued to passionately kiss Ciel.

_S-Sebastian… My fiancé… Why…? Why are you doing such a thing… with __**that human**__? Am I not good enough? Do you not… love me?_

Grell practically had a heart attack from the mere thought.

_Of course he loves me! That… That… That __**whore**__ must have him under some kind of spell! How __**dare**__ he run his hands through __**my**__ Sebastian's hair like he fuckin' owns him? SEBASTIAN IS MINE!_

Grell's razor-sharp teeth glinted in the candlelight as he bared them at the unwitting couple. Oh, how he wanted to tear Ciel apart; he could feel his hands itching for his death scythe.

_Forget the list of who's supposed to die! I'll write Ciel's name there __**myself**__! He can't even kiss right! He's too busy gasping and panting and touching and- Wait a minute._

The flamboyant immortal actually shoved down his rage and jealousy and coolly analyzed the pair for a moment. His bright-green eyes watched Ciel's every move as the boy "horribly" kissed his fiancé. Slowly, a wide smirk spread on the death god's face; yes, Ciel **definitely** didn't know how to kiss. The wheels in Grell's mind began to turn as a plan started to form.

_Oh, I'll show that human how to __**really**__ kiss._

For once, Grell actually didn't make a huge, overdramatic exit. With a smile that would rival the Cheshire cat's from Alice in Wonderland, Grell slipped into the shadows of the adjacent hall, leaving the couple in peace… for now.

**XXX**

Ciel shivered violently as he stepped inside his master's lavish manor. He had just greeted the last guest and was currently taking said guest's coat and top hat, despite the fact that he was chilled to the bone and wanted nothing more than to curl up by the fire.

_Honestly, nobles can be so obnoxious! What does he think I am, the sun? It's cold out there!_

Ciel managed to smile politely at the guest who had kept him waiting in the blustery weather until 9:15 at night. The man ignored him and immediately went to go and flirt with a group of single ladies. Ciel sighed tiredly, already annoyed by the presence of so many fake and superficial people in one room.

The party was now in full swing, just like Ciel had predicted it to be. The orchestra that was positioned at the top of the staircase was playing a lively Christmas carol; the most eligible gents and ladies were dancing to the song, faces alight with merriment. The boy's eyes followed a random couple as they twirled around the dance floor before he got bored and scanned the crowd for his fellow servants. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that both Maylene and Finny were behaving and had yet to screw anything up.

The child butler shuddered when he suddenly felt a pair of eyes staring intensely at him. Following his instincts, he looked around the ballroom until he identified the person who was looking at him; Sebastian, his master, was currently standing on the wall on the opposite side of the room, blood-red eyes trained on Ciel's petite form. Ever since they had shared that passionate kiss in the hall before the party, Sebastian had been sending signals to the boy, all of which suggested a rendezvous in a dark room… alone… naked… and doing things that polite society would have a heart attack over. Consequently, Ciel had been avoiding his demon master like the plague, still afraid that the older male would harm him like he did before he lost his voice box. But not only that, Ciel could feel a small part of himself that wanted to participate in said rendezvous. A part of him felt almost magnetically attracted to the supernatural being's look, to the supernatural being's voice, to the supernatural being's body… which only made the child butler more determined to stay away from Sebastian.

_I won't allow for him to touch me yet. I'm still recovering from that mate's attack; if I was to attempt to keep up with his recent pace, I would surely break._

Feeling highly uncomfortable with the near-predatory look in Sebastian's eyes, Ciel tore his eyes away from the demon's and quickly moved to hang up the late guest's coat and hat. He had duties to fulfill tonight; he couldn't just stand around and allow for himself to be seduced by the looks his master was giving him.

Once the guest's coat and hat were hung properly, Ciel straightened out his attire and mentally readied himself to silently serve food to the guests; this would require for Ciel to actually be social and hospitable, two things that were nearly foreign concepts to him. It wasn't that the boy was mean at heart; it was just that he wasn't comfortable in social situations… or with people in general. Sighing for the umpteenth time, the servant moved out of the closet and headed to the kitchen. Spotting a tray readied for him by Tanaka, who was also on duty since his illness wasn't currently hindering him, the boy grabbed for it and balanced it with one hand. He used the other to exit the room and head back out to the party. Plastering on a polite expression and a small smile, Ciel moved into the warzone, a.k.a. the outskirts of the dance floor. Tanaka had told the boy to peruse this area the most during the party since it would be where most people would socialize and gossip; it got its nickname from the drama that often took place. The older butler had warned the boy to only approach those that appeared to be calm and gracious; anyone else and there was a possibility that the items on the tray would end up on Ciel instead.

Noticing a sharply dressed man in a black tuxedo talking to a woman in a flowing, gold-colored gown, he approached the pair since they had neither a drink nor any appetizer in their well-manicured hands. At first, neither of the nobles noticed Ciel's presence; finally, a lull in the conversation caused the woman to look around the floor, no doubt trying to find a way to get away from the boring man. Her honey-colored eyes looked down and focused on Ciel, who merely made a gesture towards the lemonade glasses he had on his tray. The made-up woman didn't say anything; she merely stared at the boy. It took Ciel a while to finally figure out why she wasn't doing anything. The noblewoman expected for Ciel, a servant, to properly address her.

_This… will be quite problematic…_

When Ciel just kept looking blankly at the woman, physically unable to address her, the woman looked insulted and whispered loudly to the man. "That servant there, he is quite rude! He won't properly address me!"

Ciel felt his heart sink when the man turned to him with a hostile look in his gray eyes. The nobleman looked surprised when instead of seeing an adult, he saw a petite boy looking up at him with a polite facial expression. The rich man chuckled and motioned at Ciel while he said to the woman, "Oh, Clarice, don't be bothered by that. It's just some servant's child that is trying to have a little fun." Ciel resisted the urge to glare at the man who had an obvious blond toupee on as he bent down, speaking to him like one would to a small child. "Now, now, run along, little boy. This party is for adults, so please allow for your father to do his job. This is no time for you to play." Ciel couldn't resist narrowing his eyes slightly, a small frown forming on his once polite face.

_Are these people idiots? Of course I'm not playing! What kind of kid would play that he is a butler at a party?_

Ciel shook his head and gestured at his uniform to suggest that he was actually a butler. The pair of nobles looked at Ciel like he had grown a second head. Clarice looked at the man again, whispering something behind her ring-adorned hand. The man nodded and gave Ciel a sharp look. "Young man, I don't appreciate this kind of insolence, especially in front of a lady!" Ciel had to strongly resist the urge to roll his eyes at that statement; the only reason the guy was even making a big deal out of Ciel's silence was because he was trying to impress the lady.

_Must all men be complete idiots when it comes to the opposite sex…?_

Ciel finally mouthed, "I can't speak," to the nobles. They blinked, looking at Ciel like he had spoken in a foreign tongue. Suddenly, Clarice's face lit up with delight and amusement, which greatly confused Ciel.

"He's a mute! Oh, Jonathon, he can't speak because he's a mute!" she exclaimed loudly before she started giggling. Jonathon blinked before he broke out in a wide grin. He laughed jovially, attracting the attention of some partygoers that were close by. Ciel noticed this and had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that things were about to take a turn for the worse. Jonathon grinned down at Ciel, eyes maliciously amused.

"Well, that explains everything! Mutes always did have problems in the head!" he said boastfully, as if he had discovered something brand new. The woman politely laughed; her laughs increased when Jonathon proceeded to flick Ciel in the side of his head. Ciel, stunned at the man's boldness, stood in one place, still trying to get over what had just happened.

"Yes, my sister told me once about how mutes are only one step away from being idiots (3); her husband is a psychiatrist, you know. I never would have thought I would see a mute outside of an asylum. They usually feel more comfortable with other bethlehemites (4)," Clarice commented, looking at Ciel as if he was a fascinating circus attraction. Ciel's eyes widened at the woman's word choices.

_She thinks I'm a bethlehemite? But there is nothing wrong with my mind! I just can't speak…_

A random red-haired man came over to the pair of amused nobles and jabbed Jonathon in the ribs with his elbow, a smirk on his face. "Be careful there, my good man. I think you're scaring the little kid," he said, pointing at Ciel before guffawing. A lady with her hair done in a bun sauntered over; by now, any nobles in the area were intently focused on the boy. Ciel could feel his cheeks heat up with embarrassment and anger; he couldn't verbally or physically defend himself. He couldn't tell the group of laughing nobles that he could perfectly understand everything around him. It hurt his pride and, even though he would never admit it, his feelings.

"Now, now, leave the poor thing alone. If you are not going to communicate with it in its own language, it won't be able to understand you. Just look! It's getting frustrated!" she exclaimed.

_I'm an 'it' now?_

A man with a ridiculously styled moustache and a huge potbelly decided to step in, offering his own two-cents. "Alright, everyone! Stand back; I know how to deal with such beasts," he bellowed loudly. The glasses started to shake on the tray Ciel was holding dangerously tight; they weren't shaking from fear, but from anger. Ciel knew that he couldn't defend himself, even if he had been able to talk. As a servant, he barely had any rights; if he attempted to act out against those in a higher position, he knew he would be punished by his master. Not only that, his actions would reflect badly on Sebastian, which could affect his master's social position.

He resisted the urge to spit in the man's ruddy face when the obnoxious partygoer leaned down so that he was face level with Ciel. Talking in a loud, tone-deaf, and **very** slow tone, the man asked, "DO… YOU….. UNDERSTAND… WHAT… I'M… SAYING…?"

Ciel inwardly sighed at the man's idiocy and decided to just go along with him. _Hopefully they will leave me alone if I just go along with this… _The child butler nodded, face reddening even more when the crowd that had formed around him started cheering and clapping like he had done an amazing trick.

"He understands! It's a miracle!" one crowd member called out. The fat noble straightened out proudly, looking as if he was the greatest man in the world. Clarice and Jonathon, the original nobles who had started making fun of Ciel, looked fascinated at his response. Clarice gently patted Jonathon's arm and looked up at him excitedly.

"Oh, Jonathon, you simply **must** try to feed it. It would be so cute to watch it eat!" she exclaimed with delight. Ciel felt his eyebrow twitch at that one, and he turned to leave, fed up with being insulted. He stumbled back when a wiener on the end of a toothpick was practically shoved in his uncovered eye.

"Here you go, mutie!" a lad no older than eight shouted in Ciel's face. Flustered, Ciel opened and closed his mouth, taken completely by surprise. A shriek nearly ripped open Ciel's eardrum, and he found that he had accidentally stepped on a random lady's foot when he had stumbled backwards. The lady's date, a burly man with tan skin, whirled around to see who had startled his lady. Ciel attempted to apologize and gestured at her foot, offering to look at it to make sure it wasn't severely injured, but the woman shrieked again.

"It touched me! The mute touched me!" she screamed, acting as if the mere idea was going to kill her. The spastic woman threw her full glass of lemonade on Ciel, accompanied by rowdy shouts and cheers of encouragement.

"Atta girl! That's how you feed beasts such as that!" the man with the ridiculous moustache shouted, his eyes alight with excitement. The little boy that had shoved the wiener in Ciel's face squealed with delight when he threw it at Ciel.

Before Ciel could even wrap his mind around what was going on, appetizers and drinks were being thrown at and on him, as if he was some kind of wild animal that didn't know how to properly eat or defend itself. Ciel attempted to defend himself from the attacks, but consequently, he dropped the tray of lemonade glasses he had been holding.

That's when the real chaos began.

"Ahahaha, look at it! The mute's actually trying to defend itself!" one man hollered.

"No, no! He's doing a trick! He's trying to entertain us!" a boisterous woman cried out.

"Oh goody! Do another one, mute! Another one!" a girl that looked about Lizzy's age with stringy brown hair called out, clapping her hands excitedly. Ciel was so humiliated and shocked; he could only watch with wide eyes as the crowd of refined nobles turned into a cruel mob. He attempted to shove his way out of the crowd, but he was pushed back every time. One person actually had the nerve to shove a small honey cake into Ciel's mouth. Taken by surprise, Ciel choked on the food and spat it out, causing the crowd to hoot and jeer.

"Look at it, mother! It's so idiotic that it can't even eat right!" a boy with spots on his face shouted. Ciel felt someone tug on one of the tails of his coat, and he fell into the puddle of lemonade and glass with a loud crunching sound. Ciel gasped at the pain from both the fall and the bits of glass that were digging into his skin. He tried to get back up, to defend himself, to do **anything** to get out of his predicament, but the nobles blocked every single attempt. More abusive and humiliating words were shouted at him as more food and liquids were hurled and thrown on him. Running out of options, Ciel could only curl into the fetal position, covering his face from the objects his body was being pelted with.

_I'm a human being! Why am I being treated like this? Is it not already bad enough that I can't speak? Why do I have to be humiliated and abused for it? It's not my fault! Why won't they leave me alone? Why won't someone stop them?_

The abuse and borderline torture that Ciel was undergoing by the crowd seemed so familiar that it actually frightened the butler. Ciel saw flashes: the sound of money exchanging hands before he was dragged from a cramped and dirty cage, the feel of a rocky floor cutting into his already bruised skin as he was unceremoniously pulled into the center of a circle of rowdy men and women, the sensation of having his legs being forcefully spread, and the smell of an unknown man's rancid breath as he cackled before he pushed inside of his-

"AAAAAAHHHH, OH MY GOSH!" an overly-excited (and highly dramatic) voice suddenly exclaimed, tearing the crowd's attention from Ciel and Ciel from his headache-inducing thoughts. The butler slowly uncurled from his position and shakily stood up; his eyes widened at what he saw.

The mistletoe that Lizzy had hung up earlier (which Ciel had forgotten to take down) currently had two people under it: Grell and Sebastian. An excited squeal sounded from the other side of the ballroom; Ciel immediately recognized Lizzy's squeal. His eyebrow twitched at the sound.

_This must have been her plan from the beginning… No wonder she was so resolute about having that thing up there…_

Ciel wasn't sure why he was feeling slightly uneasy at the sight of his master and the death god under the mistletoe together. It wasn't as if Sebastian was actually going to kiss Grell; the demon hated the other supernatural being with all of his heart! The other onlookers started to whisper, talking about the pair under the mistletoe. Ciel bit his lip and looked intensely at the demon and the death god. He didn't understand why he was holding his breath, why his heart was beating so fast, why…

… Sebastian was kissing Grell.

Several gasps were heard throughout the ballroom, one of them being Ciel's. The child butler felt everything around him come to a stop. All sound, all movement, everything else was blocked out. All he could see was his demon master kissing the flamboyant death god. Ciel didn't understand what was going on.

_Why is Sebastian kissing Grell? Why isn't he trying to get out from under the mistletoe? Why… does he look so happy?_

Ciel felt his heart stop as he watched Sebastian wrap his arms around Grell's waist and pull the death god closer to him. He felt his breath catch when he saw Sebastian tilt his head just a little to deepen the kiss even more. He felt his eyes start to sting when a hint of a smile could be seen on Sebastian's lips. He felt his eyes water when he locked eyes with the red-haired death god, who had a triumphant look in his bright green eyes. A few cat-calls could be heard, but most of the guests were watching with shock in their eyes. Some of the more traditional nobles showed disgust and contempt.

Ciel just couldn't believe it. He felt himself take a step backwards… he felt himself turn around… he felt himself run away without a backward glance, his heart pounding and his eyes stinging with tears that would never fall.

Lizzy, who had been completely focused on her uncle and future uncle-in-law with stars in her eyes, gasped with surprise when she felt someone bump into her shoulder. She looked to reprimand the rude guest, but her sparkling eyes widened in surprise and confusion when she saw Ciel covered in bits of food; his hair was dripping with lemonade and other liquids, but his physical appearance isn't what made Lizzy so confused.

The normally stoic boy, who never really showed much emotion, had tears in his eyes.

The noble girl opened her mouth to say something, but Ciel just turned away from her and melted into the crowd.

"Ciel!" she called out, attempting to follow him into the crowd, but she couldn't catch even a glimpse of the child butler. She felt worried, not knowing what could've caused the boy to cry. She suspected it had something to do with his current appearance, but deep down inside, a little voice was telling her it had to do with what was currently happening under the mistletoe. She ignored the voice, finding it ludicrous that a romantic moment between two people who were going to get married would upset the help.

_Ciel is a butler through and through. He is happy as long as Sebastian is happy! That's how servants are supposed to be… so it must be something else that upset him so. Maybe I can cheer him up!_

While Lizzy was internally fighting with her inner voice, Ciel had managed to get out of the dancing hall. He passed some stragglers who were wandering the halls, but he only gave a slight bow to acknowledge them before continuing on his way. The boy knew he needed to calm himself down. He was being ridiculous and childish getting upset over something that normally occurred between engaged couples.

_What's wrong with me? I know that Grell is Sebastian's fiancée. But… I thought that it was merely a business arrangement. Sebastian even said himself that he didn't care for the death god. He constantly told me that there wasn't even a hint of romantic feeling toward the other immortal. And yet… he was smiling when he was kissing Grell. He looked so happy; he never looks like that when he kisses me._

Ciel felt a painful tug on his heart at that final thought. Was that why he was so upset? Because he was hurt that Sebastian never had a smile on his face while they were kissing? Ciel swallowed unsteadily and shook his head.

_Impossible! What an asinine reason to be upset! I don't care what Sebastian is doing while he's kissing me. Gosh, I sound like a scorned woman or something! Truly pathetic… I should return to the party like a good butler and do my duties._

But Ciel found that he was progressively getting farther and farther away from the dance hall. Eventually, the sounds of the party faded away, and Ciel found the tension in his body slowly being released. He wandered aimlessly around his master's expansive manor, not allowing for himself to think about anything in particular. He kept telling himself that he was heading back to the party, but he never turned around.

Eventually, his aimless wanderings brought him to his master's bedroom. Ciel scowled when he realized where he was.

_Of all places, why did I have to walk __**here**__?_

The blue-eyed boy glanced at the door to his master's room and felt a sudden longing to go in the room. He shook his head and started to berate himself for such foolish thoughts.

_Why would I want to go in that pedophile's room? It's pathetic… ridiculous… stupid!_

But even as he told himself how crazy the idea of being in his master's bedroom was, he found himself putting his hand on the doorknob and unlocking the door with the master key. The child butler hesitantly stepped into the unlit room and immediately felt calm and safe. Even though scandalous and sometimes painful things occurred in this room, Ciel couldn't deny that he felt the most at home here. Gently, he closed the door behind him and slid the master key back into his pocket. Ciel looked around the undecorated room and felt a small smile tug at his lips. He stepped farther into the room; his eyes widened when he saw that his feet were leading him to the demon's bed. He swallowed unsteadily, a slight blush forming on his cheeks, but continued to walk toward the large bed.

When he reached it, he lifted a hand and gently ran a gloved hand across the silken sheets. His eyes lidded as he walked around the entire bed. When he reached the pillow where his master would normally flop down after one of their passionate trysts, he felt his heart jump with excitement. Ciel's mind screamed at him to leave the room before he did something foolish, but a flash of his master and his fiancée kissing each other caused him to clutch the feather pillow tightly in his hand.

He stood in that exact position for what felt like hours, but was realistically only a few minutes. He sighed and flopped down onto the bed, face-first. Not even knowing what he was doing anymore, he nuzzled into the pillow and inhaled deeply. His eyes widened when he was immersed in his master's unique scent. Almost instantaneously, he felt his body react to it. His cheeks flushed a bright pink as he felt his heart start to beat faster. The tears that had developed in his eyes dissipated in a matter of seconds. His death grip on the pillow slowly eased until his hand was merely resting on top of the cool material. Ciel lazily ran his hand back and forth on the pillow, eyes heavy with exhaustion. He wanted nothing more than to sleep, but he knew that if he was caught sleeping on his master's pillow, the demon would certainly not hold back.

Ciel shivered with… trepidation? Delight? Fear? He wasn't even sure anymore. The boy closed his eyes for a moment and imagined what would happen if his master **were **to catch him. No doubt the older male would tease him for a few minutes, purposely asking things that would make the younger male blush and mentally stutter. Ciel felt his cheeks become warmer as he imagined his master's mocking but smooth and sensual tone.

Ciel imagined that the demon would suddenly stop his teasing, and his wine-red eyes would darken with lust as he realized that Ciel was lying on his bed. Ciel could practically hear his master's smooth footsteps as his imagination took a turn into "interesting" territory. Ciel imagined that he would back away and start mentally yelling at the older male to go away. He would say that he wasn't in the mood, but Sebastian wouldn't heed his words. The demon would move so fast that Ciel would feel his mind reel as he was pinned to the bed. In both his fantasy and real life, Ciel's breath caught and his body stiffened. Ciel swallowed and tried to stop his fantasy before it became more vivid… more sensual, but his mind was on a roll now.

Ciel bit his bottom lip as he imagined his master pressing his crotch against his backside as the demon pressed against Ciel to whisper in his ear. The boy felt his lips tremble as he swore he could feel his master's lips on the shell of his ear, his master's hot breath as he whispered scandalous things in his red-tipped ears. Ciel heard loud breathing, and his eyes snapped open as he looked frantically around the room. It took him a moment to realize that the person who was breathing loudly was himself.

The child butler blushed in embarrassment, even though no one was in the room with him. But… if Sebastian was here right now…

Ciel's mouth opened in a silent moan as he felt himself fall back into his fantasy again, this time lying on his back on the bed. The boy imagined that now that he was on his back, his master would waste no time to ravish him so that it would be easier for him to get what he wanted. Ciel felt his body arch and squirm a little as he fantasized about his master's lips, his master's touch, running over his clothed body. He could practically feel those sinful lips biting and sucking on him; in real life, Ciel's gloved hands were slowly running down his body, rubbing against his neck, tracing his lips, and even tugging at his clothed nipples. His breathing was increasing in volume, on the point of becoming panting, but Ciel found that he was too far gone in his fantasy to care anymore about his volume.

_Oh, what's wrong with me? This is such shameful behavior! Why am I imagining such things? I have to stop!_

But Ciel couldn't stop. It had been so long since he had had sex, and his body was craving it with a passion. Desire coursed through his veins, want drowned all rational thought, and need caused him to start unbuttoning his suit coat. Slowly, the expensive material slipped off the bed as its owner immersed himself in his fantasy to block out any thoughts of Sebastian and Grell kissing each other.

Now, his demon master would start whispering things in his ear, trailing kisses down his jaw line to get the boy even more in the mood. Ciel's cheeks flushed even more as he felt the cool air hit his erect nipples. The child continued to unbutton his clothes, his clothed hands like separate entities, greedily sliding underneath the dress shirt to touch his burning skin. Ciel's mouth opened in a silent cry as he tweaked one of his nipples, his legs unconsciously spreading on the bed. In his fantasy, Sebastian would position himself between his now spread legs, chuckling about how Ciel was so greedy and naughty. Ciel imagined himself mentally yelling at the demon to shut up and get on with it. Sebastian would chuckle, only it would be deeper and huskier with lust before he would say, "Yes, at ahuvati…"

Ciel was now panting like he was an animal in heat, his body becoming hotter the longer his fantasy continued. The heat and blood were either rushing to his cheeks, causing them to take on a dark red color, or to the aching area between his legs. Ciel gasped loudly when one of his roaming hands brushed over his clothed erection. In his fantasy, that would be Sebastian's hand. Upon seeing Ciel's delightful reaction, the demon would start to slowly grind down onto Ciel. In the real world, Ciel was slowly grinding into his own hand. The friction felt so good, and the blue-eyed boy found himself getting even more excited at the thought in the back of his head that he was playing with himself on his master's bed.

"How naughty, how sinful," Sebastian would whisper in his ear as he would unzip the young teen's pants. Ciel's breath hitched in anticipation as his hands slowly slid the pants down his legs. He let them pool at his ankles since he didn't feel like taking off his shoes. He imagined his master's eyes would start to glow with demonic lust as he eyed the bulge in Ciel's underwear. Ciel felt himself playing with the hem of his underwear, a playful smirk forming on his lips as a rare bold streak ran through him. He imagined his master's eyes would widen with surprise at Ciel's teasing before a smirk, not a smile, would spread on his face. Slowly, his demon master would lean down and kiss him, still smirking.

Ciel's eyes snapped open with a gasp as he was ripped out of his fantasy. He lay motionlessly on the bed, eyes looking up at the ceiling. They weren't focused on the ceiling though… they were focused on the memory of his master and Grell… kissing and smiling. The most Ciel had ever received was a smirk whenever they kissed.

A smirk… not a smile.

Even in his fantasy, Ciel couldn't imagine his master kissing him with a smile on his face. It seemed awkward and out of place. That realization caused a scorching pain to tear at his heart, causing him to grip at his chest as he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the obvious truth behind his pain.

_No… It's not true. It's not! I don't care… I don't care, damn it! He means nothing to me! He's just my captor… my master! That's all… That's all! There's nothing else… there's nothing more! NOTHING! HE FEELS NOTHING FOR ME!_

Another sharp pain tore at his heart, and Ciel gasped in pain as his emotions were released from the cage he had locked them in after he had found out his master was engaged. They swirled and tore his body apart; Ciel didn't know what to focus on: the burning rage, the dark despair, the overbearing pain, or the infinite sadness. It was too much all at once. Ciel felt like he was falling apart, like he was losing his mind. He needed something to hold onto, something to tell his inner demons that he was wrong. That everything was not how it seemed, that things were different…

That Sebastian cared.

Ciel put his gloved hands over his face as he tried to calm himself down. He blinked when he felt something oddly-shaped on his thumb. Ciel's eyes widened as he tore off his glove and locked eyes with the beautiful ring the demon had given him on his birthday. Ciel felt his throat tighten at the memory that was associated with the gift. Here was his proof; right here, resting on his right thumb. The young butler almost forgot he was even wearing the precious item. He had quickly become accustomed to the weight on his finger. But now that he was looking at it, he felt a calm wash over him. The tension from his raging emotions slowly melted away, and his tumultuous thoughts hushed and went back to the recesses of his mind.

_As long as I have this ring, I do not care what happens between my master and Grell. A kiss… can't compare to this ring… to this precious gift…_

His lips curled into a soft smile as he started redressing himself. The boy didn't focus on the fact that his thoughts and feelings were conflicting with one another. He wanted to stay at peace with himself for just a little longer. He felt much better; better than he would have if he had actually gone all the way and masturbated on his master's bed. Ciel flushed at the thought.

_Honestly, what is wrong with me today? I swear, there must be something in the lemonade…_

In a matter of minutes, Ciel was fully dressed and the ideal image of a butler. Now that he was emotionally stable again, the young teen was ready to return to the party. The only thing that was slightly out of place was his mismatched hands; on one hand, he had a snow-white glove on. On the other, there was no glove, just bare skin and a shining blue ring.

_If that death god wishes to play with fire, he's going to get ice instead…_

Ciel moved off of his master's bed and straightened out the area until it looked like no one had touched it. The butler sighed before he made himself look polite. It certainly wouldn't do if he walked back to the party with a frown on his face. Ciel stared at himself in the mirror for a moment before he sighed again. There were still bits of food stuck in his hair and on his uniform. He was sure that there were stains from people's drinks on his suit, but there was nothing Ciel could do about that at the present moment. The boy set down to picking out the bits of wiener and the crumbs from the pastries as well as other food bits. A disgusted look formed on the child's face at just how much food had gotten into his hair.

_I will definitely take a bath once this party is over… Ugh, disgusting…_

Once the servant was completely satisfied with his appearance, he gave one last look at the ring. Heart jumping a little as he remembered how his master had looked at him when he had given him the gift, Ciel gently kissed the blue stone. When Ciel realized what he was doing, his cheeks flared bright red, and he quickly ceased kissing the object. The child butler cleared his throat and hastily exited the bedroom, feeling embarrassed for his previous and current actions. Ciel turned around and locked the door, cheeks still slightly flushed from embarrassment.

"Ciel? What were you doing in Uncle Sebastian's room?" Lizzy asked with innocent curiosity. The poor boy nearly had a heart attack from the young girl's voice. He had not expected for the noble to actually follow him when he had bumped into her during his hasty exit. Trying not to show his shame or surprise, Ciel turned with a stoic facial expression to face the blonde. He tried to look nonchalant as he made a sweeping motion with his hands to mime that he had been cleaning. Lizzy blinked for a moment.

"Cleaning? But Ciel… weren't you crying? Why would you leave a party to clean?" the girl pressed, looking honestly worried for her friend.

Ciel inwardly sighed. _Of course Lizzy would learn to be more insightful when I don't want to be questioned._

As Ciel tried to think of a plausible excuse for his teary eyes, the blonde girl's eyes traveled to Ciel's ungloved hand. Her eyes widened when she saw the beautiful ring on the blue-eyed boy's thumb. She suddenly grabbed his hand, causing Ciel's thoughts to come to a stop.

"Ciel… Where on Earth did you get such a ring? It's so… not cute," she said as her nose wrinkled with slight distaste. The ring looked far too old to be considered fashionable anymore, and even though the blue stone was pretty, the ornate band made the overall accessory look gaudy. Ciel looked shocked for a moment, his face paling a little. Lizzy noticed this and started to feel slightly suspicious.

_Why does he look so shocked? If it's his ring, then wouldn't he have said something already? I always claim things that are mine… but what if this isn't his? What if it belongs to someone else…?_

While the wheels in Lizzy's head started turning towards more suspicious reasons, Ciel was trying to think of a way to answer Lizzy's question without making the girl suspicious of the intentions behind the gift.

_I can't just say, 'Oh, this? It was a birthday gift given by my master for my birthday before we decided to make love to each other. That's all.' Yeah, that would not go over so well. Let's see… I can't say that I bought it. There's no way with such a cheap-ass for a master that I would have enough to afford a ring like this. I need to think of an answer fast though, before Lizzy suspects-_

"Ciel," the girl's normally high-pitched and sweet voice was now a tad lower and slightly threatening, "Did you steal this ring from my Uncle Sebastian?"

_Shit._

The butler looked dumbfounded at Lizzy's accusation before he coolly glared at the slightly taller girl. He attempted to yank his hand out of the girl's grip, but Lizzy wasn't letting up. Ciel's glare became colder. "Why would you think such a thing?" he mouthed, clearly angered by the noble girl's accusation. Lizzy didn't say anything; she just continued to stare down the servant. Just as Ciel was about to respond to Lizzy's assumption, the noble girl did something horrible.

She snatched the ring right off of Ciel's finger.

Ciel's eyes widened in horror and shock as the blonde girl danced away from the dark-haired boy with his precious gift in her gloved hands. His thumb felt much too light without the ring on it. It felt like a piece of himself, a piece of his past, had just been stolen from him, and the feeling scared him immensely. Ever since he had received the ring from Sebastian, he had felt a little more complete. He had felt like he had been one step closer to learning about who he was before he showed up on the Michaelis doorstep. And now, Lizzy was taking it all away from him.

Lizzy looked pleased with herself; she felt that she had stopped the boy she cared for from getting in trouble with his master for stealing. She held the ring between her thumb and index finger as she started talking excitedly.

"You'll thank me for this later, Ciel! It's not like this ring suited you anyway… If you want a cuter ring, I can always buy you one! It would be much smaller and actually fit securely on your f-"

**BAM!**

Lizzy gasped with shock and slight fear when Ciel slammed his fist into the wall. The amount of anger he felt towards the noble girl standing in front of him was indescribable. She didn't understand just how important that ring was to him. He needed that ring to quell the doubts he had in his heart and mind, to keep him from losing his sanity from the lack of information about his past self. Ciel looked up at her with piercing eyes, his brow furrowed and his mouth set in a thin line. He wordlessly held out his hand, signaling for Lizzy to return the ring to him. The blond girl looked confused and slightly afraid as she stared at the angered servant.

"Wh-What's wrong? I don't understand… Why are you getting so mad? It's just an ugly ring!" she exclaimed. Ciel's response was to narrow his eyes; his hand remained outstretched. The green-eyed girl looked hurt. Ciel had never been angry at her before; he was always polite and treated her like a friend. To see him glaring at her with a hint of hatred in his eyes broke the young girl's heart. They were friends; they cared for each other. The girl looked at the ring in her hand. Her eyes welled with tears as she continued to stare at the ring. This accessory… this ugly piece of jewelry… it was tearing her and Ciel's friendship apart. For the first time in her young life, she felt hatred towards something. The longer the ring continued to shine in the palm of her hand, the more her hatred grew for it. She began to shake as tears streamed down her face. When she saw that Ciel had no sympathetic reaction to her obvious distress, it was the final straw.

Raising the ring high above her head, she screamed, "I HATE THIS RING!" before she threw the delicate item to the ground.

**CRACK!**

As soon as the ring hit the floor, the blue stone in the center shattered and the ornate band cracked into several pieces. Lizzy continued to glare at the now-broken ring with contempt, not even bothering to look at how Ciel was reacting.

Ciel's eyes widened as he felt his entire body and consciousness go numb. The ring… the one thing that proved that maybe Sebastian actually cared about him… the one thing linked to his mysterious past… the one thing that he could proudly claim as his own in the world… lay broken at his feet. To say that Ciel was devastated would be a disgrace to how the young Phantomhive was feeling. He felt like he couldn't breathe, he felt like his entire world had shattered along with the blue stone. His wide cerulean eyes roamed over the sparkling bits of blue stone that were spread out on the carpet. They looked like and represented beautiful teardrops that would never fall from Ciel's eyes. His heart lurched when he saw the once carefully designed and curved silver band bent and broken. That ring… it had been so important. He had promised to take care of it… he had swore to Sebastian. One of the two things that was precious to Sebastian in the whole world… was now gone.

And it was all Lizzy's fault.

The rage took Ciel completely by surprise. All rational thought disappeared in an instant, replaced with a vengeful fire that could only be quenched with revenge. He felt himself dashing towards the now-fearful Lizzy, who saw nothing but anger in Ciel's visible cerulean eye. When he was a few feet away from her, he raised his hand, ready to strike her with all the strength in his body. He wished to break the blonde girl in front of him, to shatter her into a million unrecognizable pieces like she did to his ring. Lizzy cried out and cowered in fear, waiting for Ciel's hand to smack her across her tear-stained face.

**SMACK!**

Ciel gasped as he was abruptly jerked out of his rage-induced trance. He could hear Lizzy crying and sniffing delicately, trying her best to at least cry like a respectable lady. The child butler looked up and saw blood-red eyes staring coldly down at him. And then, he felt the pain. Ciel brought a shaking hand up to his quickly bruising cheek and gently touched the area where Sebastian had slapped him. Shock and pain, both physical and emotional, coursed through Ciel's small body, causing him to tremble as he locked eyes with the emotionless ones of his demon master. Sebastian continued to silently stare down at his shocked butler, still trying to wrap his mind around what had happened. He had been walking down the hallway to take a quick break from the hustle and bustle of the party when he had seen his butler about to hit Lady Elizabeth. He had quickly stepped in between the two children, and without thinking, had slapped Ciel hard enough to snap him back to his senses.

"Ciel. A servant…"

**SMACK!**

Lizzy covered her mouth in shock when she saw her future uncle-in-law backhand Ciel's other cheek. Twin bruises were blossoming on the boy's once-unblemished face.

"…never hits a noble. Don't you ever forget your place. You are just a servant and nothing more," Sebastian finished in an authoritative tone. As the demon adjusted his immaculate gloves, Ciel was still trying to recover from his shock. The words and tone Sebastian had just spoken in were hurting his heart more than the slaps were hurting his face. He couldn't even look at his demon master; he was too afraid of what he would see in those ruby eyes. His trembles increased as his emotions started to get the better of him. The knowledge that the ring wouldn't be able to help him regain control caused his heart to sink.

Sebastian's cruelly-spoken words continued to repeat and tease his heart and mind. The boy felt like his very soul was being torn apart as the demon's words relentlessly repeated themselves like a self-destructive mantra.

"_You are just a servant and nothing more… just a servant… nothing more… servant… nothing… nothing… nothing more…"_

Ciel's throat tightened so much that he feared he would choke himself to death. He didn't even bother to try and explain the reason behind his action. It was quite clear that Sebastian would side with society. It became painfully clear that there was a bold line between himself and his demon master. Ciel would never be considered an equal… in the eyes of society or in the eyes of his master. He would never be able to do everything that he wanted. He would always be held back, he would always be turned down, he would always be denied…

He would always be a servant.

[_No. Never… I refuse to submit myself to this life. A life where I have no free will. A life where my master can abuse and use me whenever he pleases. No. This is not the life for me, for Ciel Phantomhive. I will not allow __**this**__ to be my fate. I have become too comfortable here; I have shut out the truth with false pretenses and fake evidence to support the contrary. No more. Right now… this moment… has made everything clear. It is time to stop living in a fantasy world. It is time to live in reality. It is time for me to go._]

Ciel's trembles slowly ceased as the boy regained control of himself. Now that he knew what he was going to do, his emotional turmoil no longer had a reason to exist. What would be the point of getting upset over a situation that would not affect him in the future? The young butler slowly raised his head until he was looking defiantly into his master's eyes. The demon continued to stare down at his human pet, confused by the sudden attitude change.

Ciel Phantomhive, with his head raised high, started to walk.

He walked away from his demon master and his former acquaintance. He walked past the suits of armor, the paintings on the walls, the countless rooms. He walked through the happy-go-lucky partygoers as he made his way to the front door.

Emotionlessly… Unthinkingly, he continued to walk.

He opened the front door and stared blankly at the dark world that lay beyond the safety of the Michaelis manor. He didn't even feel the biting cold of the winter air as he stepped outside. He closed the door behind him and continued to walk down the icy pathway. He just kept walking forward. He didn't know where he was going. He didn't care to be honest. He just kept walking. Even when snowflakes began to gently fall and a sharp arctic wind started to claw at his underdressed body, the boy continued to walk. The snow started to build up even more, making a light "crunching" sound under his feet as he walked like he was in a trance. Ciel barely paid attention to the quickly changing landscape. Anything that was green or had color was being covered in a frozen layer of ice and snow, making the landscape transition to an unending white. The crystal flakes started to fall harder; the little ice crystals clung to Ciel's eyelashes and hair, but the boy wasn't deterred by them. The wind blew harder, making the once calmly falling flakes whip and flutter until they formed a visible wind of white.

And still, the Phantomhive walked.

He walked as the snow came up to his knees. He walked as the wind tore off his suit jacket, leaving him even more exposed to the elements. He walked even as his legs started to become tired from the wind blowing against his tiny frame and the snow slowing his progress. He walked as his surroundings became darker, colder. He walked even though he couldn't see anything around him anymore, the once calm snow now a deadly blizzard. He walked even as his body started to become numb. He walked even though he could no longer feel his fingers, face, or toes. He walked even as his body temperature began to drop to dangerously low temperatures.

He walked… until he fell into a deep hunting pit that had been covered by the quickly falling snow. At the exact moment that Ciel rolled over to attempt to get up and continue walking, a tree branch finally cracked under the weight of the snow and fell onto the boy's unprotected and frozen body.

And Ciel Phantomhive walked no more.

* * *

(1): **Ah, the mistletoe... Ciel's natural enemy against scandalous activites... xD But lolz, seriously, that was how the tradition of the mistletoe was viewed back in the day. Nowadays, whenever two people are under a mistletoe, they kiss for as long as they want. Back then, there would be berries on the plant; once a berry was picked, that was one kiss. Now, the person could pick all the berries off of the plant, but then no one would get to kiss under the mistletoe. xD As for why people kiss under the mistletoe, I found that it was based off of an old folktalk from the Scandinavian region that had to do with two lovers, but since there were several other stories as well, I guess it depends on what culture one belongs to or whatever people choose to believe.**

(2): **In Victorian times, they did have basic cleaning items like bleach and laundry detergent. The difference between modern bleach and the bleach of this time period is that it was only available in powder form. It kinda worked like how powder detergent works today; you get it wet and then rub it into the stain and it should come right out! Hooray for Ciel's basic cleaning knowledge! ^0^**

(3): **Okay, this is where the offensive language begins. During the Victorian Era and the times before it, medical terms such as "mentally challenged" and even "retarded" were non-existent. Those that were "mentally challenged" were categorized as morons, idiots, or imbeciles (moron was the worst, then an imbecile, and then idiots). The names went along with how severe the person's illness was. During this period of time, there was a shift towards being kinder to those who were in asylums, but the change took a lot of time. Many of those with mental illnesses were treated horribly by society, and people with physical disabilities certainly weren't treated any better. In Ciel's case, being a mute was considered a mental illness, and many people believed during that time that those who were mutes were also "idiots" because they didn't have the ability to speak. It's really sad how people with mental illnesses were treated during this time, but isn't it great that this period was when attitudes started to change for the better? Yay nice people who led the revolution to kinder treatment! ^0^**

(4): **A bethlehemite was an old medical term for someone who was mentally retarded. That seems so complicated to say... I still don't know how to say it properly... xD**

* * *

**J-C: Aren't I just the nicest author EVER? I don't come update for 4+ months, and then when I finally do, I leave you guys with a cliffhanger! Isn't that just so nice of me?**

**Naruto: NOOOOOO! WHY DO YOU ALWAYS DO EVIL THINGS TO CIEL?**

**~Sasuke~ Calm down, dobe... I'm sure J-C won't let anything bad happen to Ciel... she doesn't have the guts...**

**J-C: EXCUSE ME! I'll have you know that just because he's one of the main characters in this story doesn't mean that I can't kill him off!**

**~Sasuke~ Uhuh...**

**J-C: Grrrr... You'll see, Sasuke... you'll see. By the way, readers, I was totally being sarcastic when I opened this ending note. I'M SO EVIL! T_T Poor Ciel! I swear, I never give him a break... I'm sure that my editor/Ciel is screaming at me from her house. *smirks evilly* I love annoying her with my evilness towards Ciel... But anyhoo, enough of my secret sadism towards anything that has to do with Ciel, it's that time again! It's time for me to ask for reviews! ^0^ You guys are just SO amazing when it comes to reviewing. I couldn't ask for better readers! ^0^ To show my appreciation, besides responding to everybody for Chapter 21 (I swear, I will! I'm going to actually keep track if I get behind this time!), I'M ASKING FOR YOUR HELP!**

**Okay, so one of the reasons why I was having trouble updating with Chapter 21 was because I experienced SEVERE writer's block. Seriously, I couldn't write for a while and it really upset me. But besides my exhaustion, I figured out that it was because I have A LOT OF NEW STORY IDEAS! I'm not kidding... I have so many ideas that it was hindering my writing, and I've decided to do the impossible. I'm going to write another story at the same time as I write "One Hell of a Master". I know... you guys are probably screaming at your computers, thinking I'm crazy. But I figured out that this story is going to take a LONG time to finish... seriously, it will be a while before I mark it as "complete". And since I'm such a bad updater, I figured that if there were a couple of stories that you guys could read while you wait, I think it would make you guys happy. So, this is what I'm doing: I'm setting up a poll. I'm going to put my plot ideas down (like, only a line so that you guys get the basic idea), and you guys can vote for which one you want to see me write first! If you like them all, well, you're really kind and you have nothing to worry about because I'm going to write them all someday, but I just want to write what you guys are the most interested in first! ^-^ So yeah, I'm going to post a poll on my profile, and you guys can vote there OR you can tell me which one you want to see me write first in the review I hope you leave for me! Thank you for reading this ridiculously long note (and the super long chapter before it xD). I appreciate every single review, every single fav, and every single story alert for this story! ^-^ I love you all, and I can't wait to get to know everybody better via Twitter and Facebook! ^0^ Welp, I'm fungry now, so I'm going to FINALLY go eat! FOOD! ^0^**

**Ja ne for now! ^0^**


	22. The Promise

**J-C: IT'S FINISH- *passes out as she uploads this onto the fanfic***

**Naruto: SASUKE, I THINK J-C'S DEAD! D:**

**~Sasuke~ No, dobe... she's just sleep-deprived... You know, from having to go to school, then to her part-time job, and then coming home and staying up till late into the night to do her homework before going to sleep for 4-ish hours... and repeat.**

**J-C: Zzzzz...**

**Naruto: Oh... Well, I guess there's only one thing to do...**

**~Sasuke~: Introduce the chapte-**

**Naruto: Draw all over J-C with Sharpie... LIKE A NINJA! *pulls out Sharpies and advances on innocently sleeping J-C***

**~Sasuke~: -_-' What a dobe... *sighs* I guess I'll have to take over for both of the idiots that I'm forced to associate with on a daily basis. Let's see... If J-C was awake, she would profusely thank all of her reviewers for giving her over 100+ reviews for Chapter 21 (even though I have no idea why you people continue to encourage such idiocy... seriously... -_-). So, thank you for that. Oh, and for those reviewers (or possibly reviewer) who kept posting that J-C was lazy... First of all, you don't know her. Her life is very hectic; not only does she have to do regular school work, she also has many after-school activities in addition to her crazy part-time work schedule. She barely has time to sleep, let alone write. Second, being rude to her is not going to encourage her to write. She actually was going to write more of Chapter 22 that night that she received those messages, but she got so pissed off and saddened by her own reviewers calling her lazy and a disappointment that she lost the inspiration to write and wasted the first free night she had in awhile. Thirdly, is she not allowed to have time to herself just to relax? Seriously, she's a disappointment because she wants to read for her own pleasure (something that she loves doing) instead of forcing herself to write and producing crap? Besides, when she reads other stories, it's usually when she wakes up first thing in the morning or right before she passes out in her bed (in other words, the times J-C reads aren't even times when she can be writing). Seeing those messages seriously made J-C upset... she even ranted to her editor about them.**

**Naruto: Yeah! Whoever that person was is rude and inconsi-... incons-... uh...**

**~Sasuke~ Inconsiderate?**

**Naruto: Yeah, what my sexy uke said!**

**~Sasuke~ *coughs and attempts to fight the blush on his cheeks* Anyway, J-C was so pissed about the person talking about her in such a way that she was actually considering NOT posting Chapter 22 for an even longer amount of time; BUT, thanks to CookieDoodles, she was reminded that there were WAY more people that respected her and truly loved her story enough to patiently wait for updates, and she worked hard on Chapter 22 just for them. So seriously, thank CookieDoodles, because this chapter probably wouldn't have been posted today if it wasn't for that reader.**

**Naruto: I'm tired of hearing about those reviewers... or reviewer (who knows/cares?)? hurry up and introduce the chapter, Sasuke!**

**~Sasuke~: *knocks Naruto over the head* Don't cut me off, usurantonkachi. I haven't even got to the Disclaimer and Warnings y-!**

**Naruto: Fine. Here, I'll give the Disclaimer and Warnings so that J-C's readers don't die of boredom from your speech.**

**Disclaimer: J-C doesn't own Kuroshitsuji, because if she did, *reveals a spoiler from Chapter 61***

**~Sasuke~: Great, now the fans are going to want to kill you... -_-**

**Naruto: CONTINUING!**

**Warnings: Surprisingly, this chapter has little to no violence, hardly any language, a little bit of sexual situations/themes, an instance of extreme pedophilia (this might make some readers REALLY uncomfortable because it involves someone under the age of 10... but it's a really tiny instance. You guys might even miss it. xD), and yes, there is a hint of Lizzy in here as well. -_-'**

**Dedicated to: CookieDoodles ^-^**

**~Sasuke~ One more thing before the idiocy can continue. Because J-C is super tired at the moment and really wants to take time when she responds, there won't be any responses to anonymous reviews at the moment. She's going to go back later and answer everybody, so don't fret, anonymous reviewers. J-C hasn't forgotten you, right J-C?**

**J-C: *mumbling in her sleep***

**Naruto: Yosh! FINALLY, we can introduce Chapter 22! Everybody, please enjoy One Hell of a Master's latest update, The Promise! *goes back to drawing on J-C***

**~Sasuke~ Enjoy, everyone. *watches Naruto because he has nothing better to do***

* * *

**Chapter 22: The Promise**

**A few hours later**

Sebastian stood at the window in his study, looking blankly out at the blizzard that was raging outside of the sanctity of his manor. A crackling fire was in the fireplace, giving the room pleasant warmth and a soothing glow. The pine tree that Ciel had decorated a couple of days ago gave off a relaxing aroma. All was peaceful in the demon's study; one could even say the room was relaxing and warm.

And yet, Sebastian felt as if he was standing in the midst of the storm.

"Tanaka, he's been gone for hours now," the demon said in a clipped tone. His ruby eyes slid to the side, where his ever-faithful butler now stood. The gray-haired male said nothing for a moment, adjusting his monocle. The immortal had learned over the years that the elderly human absentmindedly adjusted his eyepiece when he was anxious or deep in thought.

"My lord, Ciel is a smart child. Surely he has taken refuge from the blizzard and is sitting safe and sound in a dry place. He's probably just sulking. I am sure he will return once the winds die down," Tanaka stated in a soothing tone. The elderly human knew Sebastian was worried about Ciel, even though his body language and current tone gave no hint of said worry. Sebastian said nothing for a moment, his eyes focusing on the winter storm. The wind was blowing so hard that it was rattling the glass windows, reminding Sebastian of how humans would describe a ghost trying to get inside. But there were no ghosts outside the window, trying to get inside.

The real ghosts were inside of the demon, haunting him with memories of things past.

"I hit him, Tanaka. Twice… Once with the palm of my hand, and once with the back of my hand," Sebastian said quietly. He looked down at the limb that had slapped his pet, absentmindedly clenching and unclenching it. He looked away from the gloved hand and back out the window. "I hit him, and he did nothing. There was no retaliation, no anger, no tears. There was absolutely nothing. He just looked at… no," Sebastian paused as he remembered the look in his servant's eyes. There had been a flicker of defiance, and then there was nothing. It was like Ciel was blind and could no longer see anything in front of him. "He looked through me. It was like I wasn't there, like he couldn't see me," Sebastian finished softly. The demon sighed, already exhausted from having to be a hospitable and perfect host for several hours in a row.

The party had been a huge success; despite the scandalous kiss that had Sebastian immediately rushing to the nearest bathroom and washing his mouth out with excessive amounts of soap, the guests had continued to party and have a good time. When the party was reaching its climax, the three servants had wheeled out Ciel's masterpiece: the Christmas cake. If Ciel had been there, he certainly would've been proud. Not only were the guests and Sebastian amazed by how it was presented and constructed, the nobles loved how it tasted. The demon had listened as he heard guests discussing how rich and sweet the cake had been. After the cake had been devoured by practically every partygoer, the Christmas celebration started winding down. Presents were passed out and received; every person had left the Michaelis manor with a jolly smile and a joyful call of, "Merry Christmas!"

And still, there had been no sign of Ciel.

At first, Sebastian hadn't been worried, thinking that Ciel was hiding in some random area of the mansion that he didn't visit often. But when the wind started to pick up and there was still no sign of his pet, the demon had decided to use the contract to see where his butler was hiding so that he could end the game already. When he saw that Ciel wasn't in any part of the Michaelis manor, but outside in the deathly cold storm, Sebastian had felt an unwanted surge of anxiety. Despite the demon's silent hopes, the storm had not been a fast one that quickly blew itself out; no, this storm was here to stay for at least the remainder of the evening, if not till late tomorrow morning. Even though the other servants openly expressed their worry and offered to go out and look for the small boy, Sebastian had firmly told them to remain inside. The demon wasn't sure how he would be able to find four people stranded in a winter storm if he allowed the others to start searching for Ciel.

But now that Sebastian saw just how dangerous the storm had become, he felt an itch to go out and find Ciel himself. For the past two hours, Ciel's presence in the back of his mind had been steadily fading; the immortal had caught himself checking the back of his contracted hand to make sure that it wasn't fading as well. Thankfully, he could still clearly see it.

_That can only mean that his consciousness is fading… like he's going into a deep sleep. But in a winter storm, it's deadly to fall asleep. Most who do will die._

The thought of Ciel, his tiny body slowly freezing as he peacefully slept in the winter storm, the snow sticking to his pale and beautiful face while the wind ruffled his silky hair made Sebastian's heart clench painfully.

"Mew!" a high-pitched meow sounded from behind Sebastian, jerking the immortal from his morbid thoughts. The demon turned around and felt his body slightly relax just from the sight of the tiny kitten he had received on Ciel's birthday. The little black cat looked up at Sebastian with its pretty jade-green eyes. The cute animal tilted its head to the side as it regarded Sebastian for a moment before it meowed again. A small smile formed on the immortal's face as he bent down and picked the cat up. He gently stroked it as he cradled it in his arms. The small cat nuzzled against Sebastian's gloved hand, causing Sebastian to chuckle.

"You really are an affectionate little thing, aren't you?" Sebastian asked the kitty softly. The animal didn't pay attention to the demon's words; it just continued nuzzling into Sebastian's hand. When the little cat licked one of Sebastian's gloved fingers, Sebastian's smile widened a little. But when his wine-red eyes locked on the bright red bow that was tied around the black cat's neck, he felt his temporary happiness freeze over and shatter into a million pieces. The person who had given him something that he loved wasn't even standing by his side. He was out there in that winter storm, possibly freezing to death.

Tanaka watched his master's face fall when his eyes locked onto the ribbon around the animal's neck. The elderly man cleared his throat before looking back out the window. "My lord, do you wish to search for Ciel? It has been quite some time since he was seen in the manor, and I'm sure the other servants are losing sleep due to their worry for his safety," Tanaka added. Sebastian glanced at his oldest servant before he smirked.

"You wouldn't happen to be one of the 'other servants' who are losing sleep due to Ciel, would you?" he asked almost mockingly.

"I don't believe my feelings are important at the moment, my lord," Tanaka responded coolly. Sebastian frowned and continued absentmindedly stroking the cat as he looked out the window.

"And to answer your question, Tanaka, I will not search for Ciel. I, as the master, should not have to search for a rebellious servant who ran outside and got himself stuck in a blizzard," Sebastian stated in a clipped tone, clearly irritated by the whole situation. It was already 3 AM, meaning that Ciel had missed his scheduled "sex pet" time. The fact that Ciel hadn't come back, even though he had to have been experiencing immense pain to be going against one of the constituents of the contract, baffled, worried, and pissed off the demon.

"Ciel's in the blizzard?" Lizzy asked in a horrified tone. Both Tanaka and Sebastian turned to look at the door to Sebastian's study with surprise on their faces. Lady Elizabeth and Madam Red were both in the doorway; Lizzy looked like she was about to cry, while Madam Red's face was a mask of controlled anger. Her red eyes were flashing dangerously, and her painted red lips were set in a tight line. Sebastian coolly looked at the clearly angered death god for a moment before he focused his attention on the distressed blonde.

"Lady Elizabeth, it is much too late for you to still be up and about. Why aren't you asleep at this hour? It will affect your growth," Sebastian stated in a soothing tone, his face one of someone who was calm and kind. Lizzy blinked at her future uncle for a moment before she looked down at her feet, the guilt she was already feeling increasing at the thought that Sebastian was worried about her.

"I… I couldn't sleep… I really tried as hard as I could, but I just… couldn't," she responded after a moment. Sebastian quietly regarded the human before he turned to Tanaka.

"Well, I'm sure Tanaka can make you a glass of warm milk with a hint of brandy to help you fall asl-"

"I feel too guilty!" Lizzy cut in, her voice near hysterical. Sebastian's eyes widened slightly; Lizzy was usually so focused on being a proper lady. For her to do something so unladylike as to cut off an older male while he was talking was rare.

_Whatever she's feeling guilty about must be quite serious…_

Madam Red was silent the entire time, her dangerous eyes focused on the demon in front of her; however, her natural instincts kicked in, and she put a comforting arm around her niece's shoulders. The comforting touch was all it took for Lizzy to break down into tears. All three adults in the room were baffled as to why the child was crying. The blonde continued to cry for quite some time, so overcome with guilt that the only way she could find a little bit of relief was through her tears. Sebastian and Tanaka exchanged a wordless glance, both at a loss for words.

"I didn't… I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to make Ciel mad at… mad at me! I just didn't want him to get in t-trouble! I was o-o-only trying to st-stop him from stealing! I was j-j-just trying to help!" Lizzy wailed, her face red and her nose running from how hard she was crying. Now all the adults in the room were confused, Sebastian being the most.

"Stealing? Lady Elizabeth-"

"LIZZY!" she cut in again. Sebastian sighed, internally mumbling about how idiotic humans are when it comes to titles.

"Lizzy, what do you mean 'stealing'? Was Ciel stealing something?" Sebastian asked slowly. The very idea of Ciel stealing something from the manor surprised Sebastian. The entire time that Ciel had been his butler, the demon had never seen Ciel eyeing anything like a thief. In fact, the boy rarely showed interest in worldly things to begin with.

_If I remember correctly, the only things I've seen Ciel show any interest in is his pocket watch and the ring I gave him for his birthday…_

That's why he couldn't stop himself from raising an incredulous eyebrow when Lizzy nodded in affirmation. Now curious and baffled, the demon prompted for the girl to continue.

"What exactly was he attempting to steal, Lizzy?" he asked with slight curiosity. The blonde resolutely shook her head.

"I-I-I-I don't want h-him to get in m-m-more trouble!" She sniffled, tears still running down her distressed face. Sebastian sighed tiredly, annoyed by the girl's crying. He pulled out a handkerchief from the breast pocket of his tuxedo and walked to Lizzy. He got down on his knee and gently wiped at the tears that were falling from her emerald eyes; he forced himself to have a comforting smile on his face. Something was telling him that what Lizzy was about to say would be the key to Ciel's odd behavior before he disappeared into the storm.

"I know you are worried that you are going to get him in trouble, considering what you are accusing him of. But if you wish to ease your guilt, I think that telling us what Ciel was trying to steal would certainly help," Sebastian urged, skillfully hiding the urgency he was feeling in the pit of his stomach. The human locked eyes with the raven-haired male, and Sebastian sighed again when her face crumpled. She started crying harder, but thankfully, she was able to talk while she cried.

"H-H-He was… st-st-st-stealing a… r-r-ring from y-your… bedroom!" she managed to get out between her whimpers and sniffs. Sebastian felt his stomach drop; he didn't have any jewelry in his room, let alone in his belongings. The only thing he had was the ring he had given Ciel on his birthday. Sebastian's eyes widened slightly, but he forced himself to remain calm.

"A ring? What did this ring look like, Lizzy?" he coaxed. Tanaka looked worriedly at his master's back, knowing that the demon knew exactly what the young girl was referring to. Sebastian barely had any possessions to begin with; the only piece of jewelry the demon owned was the ring that perfectly matched Ciel's beautiful eyes. For Ciel to have gotten so upset, something horrible must've happened to the ring.

_I know that Ciel has sometimes been quick to anger, but I'm sure that just being accused of stealing wouldn't cause him to do something as rash as running away_, Tanaka reasoned. Lizzy wiped at her eyes, trying to calm herself so she could remember what the ring that ruined her and Ciel's friendship looked like.

"I-I-It was so not cute! It was m-much too big for Ciel's th-thumb, so I kn-knew it had to belong t-to you, Sebastian. Um… the band was m-made of silver; it looked s-s-so gaudy and old because it… had these weird things etched into i-it. The only th-thing that was… cute about it w-was the blue stone in the m-middle," she finally stated in a watery tone.

It took all of Sebastian's self-control not to slap the girl in the face.

Not cute? Did she even realize how much that ring was worth, not only monetarily, but sentimentally? Sebastian forced down the memories of a sweet, innocent voice with lovely eyes to match calling his name and focused on the human in front of him.

"Lizzy, that ring was not stolen. I gave him that ring," Sebastian responded in a measured tone. Madam Red, who was completely lost now, gave him an odd look.

_A demon gave a human a gift? What exactly has gotten into him?_

Lizzy froze, not expecting that answer. She looked at Sebastian with confusion in her tear-filled eyes. "Wh-What? Why would you give C-Ciel such a thing?" she asked with curiosity.

_Something like that should've been given to Uncle Grell! He's Sebastian's fiancée! It would've been so much cuter on Uncle than on Ciel!_

Sebastian didn't even hesitate, expecting for Lizzy to ask this question. "I felt that something so **precious** and **valuable** would be safe in his hands. Ciel has been nothing but loyal and responsible since I have employed him in my service. He was the perfect candidate to hold onto something that is very dear to my heart. Of course, I naturally should've given the ring to Grell, but I figured that if any enemies or thieves wanted to get back at or steal something important to me, they would target me and my fiancée before they even thought about targeting a mere servant; a child one at that," Sebastian explained.

Lizzy was shocked into silence. Instead of feeling relieved of her guilt, she felt like she was being suffocated by it. All along, Ciel had done absolutely nothing wrong. She had been in the wrong. She had falsely accused him of something horrible when he had just been fulfilling a duty to his master. To make matters worse, the ring had been important to her future uncle. She was not as airheaded as many believed her to be; she hadn't missed the emphasis on the words "precious" and "valuable" when the raven-haired male had been speaking. Not only had she hurt her precious friend, Ciel, she had also hurt another person precious to her: Sebastian.

It was all her fault. It was all her fault that Ciel had been smacked by Sebastian; if she had just given the ring back instead of allowing for her own feelings to interfere in her judgment, then Ciel would be safe in his bed instead of wandering around in a blizzard. She hiccupped loudly and buried her face in her hands.

"I'm so s-s-s-s-s-s-sorry! I didn't know! I didn't know it was so precious! If I h-h-had known, I wouldn't have b-b-b-broke it!" she wailed, grieving over the loss of the "not cute" ring and her friend.

The air in the room froze.

Sebastian's face drained of what little color it previously had as his eyes widened, emotions swirling in their crimson depths. Sebastian felt both his heart and his stomach drop; he felt like he was going to be sick, but the sheer agony he felt in his heart easily dwarfed his upset stomach. His eyes looked like a bloody, raging sea: torment, anguish, despair, wrath, horror, all of those emotions, flickered and fought to be present at all times in his eyes. Tanaka could practically feel the waves of pain and heartbreak coming off of his master; he had to wipe at his spectacles to keep his own composure. Only the old butler knew just how important that ring was to Sebastian; even then, Tanaka knew that Sebastian still had a stronger attachment than what he had let on to the gray-haired male when he had finally told him about it a few years ago. Tanaka hadn't missed the glances filled with sheer longing and love whenever the demon would look at the ring.

Tanaka barely scratched the surface of just how important that ring was to Sebastian. To Sebastian, the ring… that ring was everything and more. Madam Red's eyes scrutinized the grieving immortal for a moment before she had to look away, the site too pitiful and tragic for her to watch.

That ring… one of the only two things in this world that Sebastian had left… it was gone. Shattered… destroyed… all because of a little girl's whim. That ring… it held everything Sebastian thought he had forgotten. Everything: emotions, memories, secret yearnings that he had never revealed to another living soul. His hands trembled violently as he forgot to breathe; no, as he lost the will to breathe. He could only look at Lizzy, but he wasn't really seeing her. No, his mind was elsewhere. It was drifting away, drifting to the time when everything had been simple… when he didn't have to fake a smile… when he was truly alive… when he was actually at peace, if only for a little while. A flash and there was that sweet voice again; he could almost feel those loving arms wrapping around his waist, he could almost smell the honeysuckle that always followed that voice. He could almost hear the sound of wheat rustling in the wind as he ran… as he ran, holding tight onto that hand. He swore he heard that laugh… that laugh that made his heart swell and wrench at the same time. He squeezed his eyes shut and grasped desperately for that voice… for his sanity… for his everything. His mouth shakily opened, and he almost cried out… he almost cried out that person's name. He almost had that person back in his arms… if he just reached a little further…

"Master," a firm voice and an even firmer hold on his shoulder jerked him from his grief-induced memories and turmoil. He jerked and looked up at Tanaka with an unguarded and lost facial expression. His eyes searched the weathered human's face, searching for a hint of that person. When Tanaka didn't magically transform into who he wanted in his arms at that moment, he slowly started to return to himself. He finally inhaled, relieving his starved lungs, and regained his composure. He convinced himself that there was nothing to worry about, that he could definitely fix the ring. It would take a lot of time and effort; he would have to be very careful as he pieced it back together.

_But I would do anything for that ring… Time and effort are nothing in comparison to what that ring has given me…_

Sebastian exhaled and looked at the blonde girl who was still sobbing into her hands. He saw red for a moment and was very tempted to rip her head off her shoulders, to break her into millions of bloody, broken pieces for what she had done. To rip her pathetic and childish soul from her bosom and devour it before vomiting it back onto her broken body. Oh, how he wished to hear her scream and plead for mercy; she deserved to die scared and horrified for what she had done. He could feel his fangs elongate just at the thought. But he calmed just as quickly as he angered, and he sighed before he wrapped his arms around Elizabeth and hugged her.

The noble girl had not been expecting this at all. She had thought that Sebastian would yell, that he would hit her. In all honesty, she felt that she deserved to be punished for what she had done. She had felt the change in the atmosphere when she had broken the news to Sebastian about what had happened to his ring. Nowhere in the air had it hinted that Sebastian was going to comfort and hug her. If anything, Sebastian was the one who deserved to be comforted and hugged.

"Lizzy, don't cry anymore. It's alright. Everyone makes mistakes; lucky for you, I can easily fix this one. Just promise me that you will think about the effect that your actions may have on others before you do something so drastic again," Sebastian whispered softly in the human's ear. Lizzy stiffened, feeling another debilitating wave of guilt, before she nodded with a small sniff.

"Can you?" Madam Red practically spat. Sebastian released Lizzy to give the death god a confused look.

"Yes, I believe so. I do not lie," Sebastian reminded the other immortal. The red-haired woman put her hands on her hips and practically burned Sebastian's eyes right out of his sockets with the intensity of her glare.

"And **how**, exactly, do you plan on fixing a mistake when you aren't willing to get off your lazy ass and find the person that's been hurt the most by your ignorance?" she hissed, her eyes flashing with fury. Sebastian raised an eyebrow in shock, his eyes now totally confused.

"'Hurt the most', you say?" Sebastian repeated slowly. The noblewoman grinded her teeth together as she fought the urge to whip out her death scythe and slice right through the bastard in front of her.

"Are you stupid? Of course Ciel was hurt by what you did! Jesus, Sebastian, why do you think the boy left **and hasn't come back**?" she yelled, nearly at her wit's end with the demon on the ground. "He's out there, right now! He's lost in a blizzard, and he's upset; it's entirely your fault! And here you sit, nice and warm, and say that it's **not** your responsibility to go and look for him? **You** are the cause of Ciel's anguish at the moment; it's **your** responsibility to fix the mistake that **you** made," she berated. She took a pause, looking thoughtful, before her eyes glinted with sadistic amusement. She smirked and regarded the demon as if he was a pathetic bug that she was about to squish on the bottom of her shoe.

"Unless you're a liar," she baited, knowing that saying such a thing would get the demon to take action.

Lizzy was shocked by her aunt's outburst; she rarely saw the older female get angry, much less at Sebastian. Sebastian, however, was amused. His eyes narrowed as he slowly stood up, staring down the shorter immortal. Their eyes locked as a silent showdown took place between them; neither one of them was willing to back down. And then, Sebastian smirked™.

"I've told you many times before, Madam Red," his eyes glowed slightly as his smirk widened, "I never lie."

**XXX**

_Well, this is just great… _Ciel thought bitterly as he stared up at the black sky. He could clearly see the snow whipping violently above where he was lying in the pit, unable to move. It wasn't because he was seriously injured that he couldn't move, no, not at all. Ciel glared at the tree branch that was currently keeping him hostage and preventing him from walking away from the Michaelis manor. The branch had landed right at his hips, but it didn't hit him; it was balanced on three branches that were firmly embedded in the icy ground and just so happened to have formed a cage around Ciel's legs. One branch was to the left of his left leg, one was in the middle of both of his legs, and the other was to the right of his right leg, all the elements of a perfect cage. To make matters worse, the branch was ridiculously heavy. Ciel had unsuccessfully tried several times to move the branch off of him, but to no avail.

The dark-haired child huffed and laid his head back against the snow. His eyes flicked to his quickly whitening torso.

_Hm… It looks like I'm going to be buried alive by the snow. It's certainly piling up quite fast. Then again, it isn't a blizzard for nothing…_

Ciel sighed and watched as his breath fogged in front of his cracked, bleeding, and frozen lips. They had stopped trembling a long time ago, along with the rest of his body. In all honesty, Ciel couldn't even feel the cold anymore. The only part of him that was actively moving were his eyes; every other part of his body was practically frozen, making it very difficult for Ciel to move.

But at this point, Ciel couldn't care less.

He emotionlessly looked up at the black sky, not even feeling the snowflakes that clung to his face and body. He couldn't feel anything physically or emotionally anymore, and he didn't care. Ciel felt so tired… so weak; he just wanted to sleep, to forget that he had ever met Sebastian Michaelis.

_Sebastian… That bastard…_

Ciel's thoughts took an unwilling turn from thinking about how it would feel to be buried alive by snow to his master. He imagined that his master was probably sitting on his bed, wondering why Ciel hadn't shown up for his sex pet time. If Ciel could've, he would've moved his lips to form a triumphant smirk. Let the bastard sulk, let him be angry. At this point, Ciel couldn't give two-shits about whether his master was pleased.

For a moment, Ciel's eyes locked onto a single snowflake. There was so much white; there was no color anywhere around or in his makeshift tomb. The white of the snow was so different from the passionate red he was so used to looking at. Imagining Sebastian's wine-red depths made Ciel's heart lurch painfully. The last memory he had of those enchanting and supernatural eyes was blemished by the anger that had been present in their depths.

_Those eyes… so many memories… of those eyes. They are like a… red… red… rose…_

Thinking of roses made Ciel remember his birthday, the night he lost his voice… the night he received the ring that was now shattered beyond repair. So much had happened on that night, but he distinctly remembered Sebastian comparing him to a white rose petal.

_He… said that… the rose's beauty… paled… in comparison… to mine…_

His exhausted mind recreated the moment, and he felt warmth settle in his chest. He had been so happy; not because of the compliment, but because of how Sebastian had looked at him. With eyes like the reddest of roses, he had looked at him, and only him, like he was the most precious thing in the world. To be seen by such a perfect being in such a way had made Ciel feel more special than the Queen herself.

_Perfect… with alabaster skin. Perfect… alabaster… skin..._

His mind conjured up images of his master's face. His blackened fingers, severely frostbitten, twitched as he remembered stroking the demon's perfect skin. It was so smooth, so perfect. Ciel had secretly loved touching the immortal being with his hands; but when they were both naked, pressed flushed against each other to where Sebastian's milky white and perfect skin was smoothly sliding against his own, oh, Ciel loved those moments the most. That skin that could never scar, that rarely flushed unless immensely aroused; Ciel secretly adored it from afar as it stretched and molded over aristocratic facial features to complete the perfection that was Sebastian Michaelis.

_I… wonder… if he… was here now… if I would… be… able… to feel… his… lips…_

Ciel's frozen and blue-black lips trembled as he pictured those slightly full lips; they were almost too full for a man, but they only added to his master's near-androgynous image. And oh, how Ciel loved when those lips were moving oh-so-sweetly against his own. So soft… so warm… so perfect.

Ciel wasn't sure why he was admiring his master in his final moments, but at this point, he felt that it was pointless to argue with himself. He was much too tired for that. As if to accentuate that point, Ciel felt his eyelids start to droop. The child butler was in no way naïve as to what would happen if he fell asleep during a snowstorm. No doubt, he would die. And the young Phantomhive welcomed death. Along with welcoming his fate, Ciel felt that he might as well admit something to himself before he faded away from the mortal world.

_Perhaps… No… I… Sebastian…_

His visible eye continued to slowly close, slowed by the freezing wind and the sheer cold of his surroundings. Everything was becoming black around him as he felt sleep grabbing for his conscious mind. With a tug at his heart, he thought of the shattered ring… the one thing he had needed as proof that Sebastian cared for him. It was the one thing, the one moment in his life that Ciel regretted. If he could just go back in time, he would do everything in his power to stop Lizzy from destroying his proof… from destroying his precious treasure. He had broken a promise; Ciel Phantomhive never broke his promises. Sure, he occasionally lied, but he never went back on his word. Because of his carelessness, he had broken a promise that was probably the most important one he would ever make during his short lifetime.

It was sad, almost; the young Phantomhive was going to die without knowing who he truly was. He would die never knowing the secrets his master hid behind those beautiful eyes of his. He would die cold, alone, but unafraid. Even in his dying moments, the dark-haired child refused to let go of his pride. He would die with dignity, even if it was buried underneath mounds of snow. Even if his body was never found, Ciel was determined to die with his pride fully intact. And Ciel knew, deep down in his heart, that he would die knowing one thing for certain. Even if his life was a lie, even if his master was an abusive demon who couldn't give two-shits about whether his servant's feelings were hurt, even if he never understood why he couldn't shed a single tear, Ciel was certain of this:

_I… It's not about… whether… he cares… for me or… not._

Ciel's head lolled lifelessly to the side, his cheek resting against the cold snow as his cobalt eye finally closed, his body falling completely still.

_Regardless… I… I care… about… Sebastian Michaelis… so… much…_

**XXX**

Ciel felt something was off when he started to feel warm. He confirmed that he was going delirious from the cold when he felt rays of light that closely resembled the sun caressing his frozen cheek.

"Ciel… Ciel, darling…"

Faintly, a calming and sweet voice called the child butler's name. If Ciel still had his voice box, he would've groaned. Couldn't he at least die without someone interrupting him?

"Ciel Phantomhive… I can save you…"

Ciel felt his body stiffen as his ears listened to the melodious voice lovingly call his name. He remembered that voice… this voice… he had heard it somewhere before. Summoning the little mental strength he had left, Ciel finally responded to the voice.

'_I… I do not… want to… be saved…_'

There was a pause, and if Ciel still didn't feel so warm, he would've thought that the mysterious being had vanished into the storm to leave him to his fate. The only sounds that drifted into Ciel's severely frostbitten ears were the high-pitched whistling of the wind and the creaking of the tree where the branch had fallen from.

"What if I could tell you about your past?" the voice asked curiously.

Ciel's uncovered eye flew open, his heart practically leaping out of his chest. His past… this being could tell him about his past? The very idea that he was possibly one step closer to regaining his lost memories of his past self gave Ciel enough strength to turn his head to look at the being; ironically, he wasn't able to actually see whatever was speaking to him because where a figure would normally be standing, there was just a really bright light. Ciel squinted his eyes, fearing that he would go blind from the amount of light that was coming off of whatever was bargaining with him.

'_You… can tell… me about my… past?' _he asked, suspicious of the being's intentions.

"Yes… I can tell you everything you need and want to know. All you have to do is agree to live with me for the rest of your life," the ethereal being bargained. Ciel slowly blinked, not sure if he heard correctly.

_Why… would I have to live… with this being… just to learn about my past? And besides, even if… I agree… it's not possible. I can't… leave the contract…_

'_I can't-'_

"Leave Sebastian?" the being cut in. Ciel didn't respond; he just continued to blankly stare at the voice that was the key to his unclear past. The melodious voice laughed beautifully, sounding like music to Ciel's ears. When the voice had calmed, it responded softly, "You don't need to worry about **him**," it said in an almost amused tone. "I'll take care of him. All you have to do is agree to come to me when the time is right. Do you agree, Ciel Phantomhive? Do you agree to finally learn the truth about yourself?" it asked sweetly.

How could Ciel possibly say no? Even if he didn't know who this thing was that was bargaining with him, it knew about something that he had been wondering about since he had first opened his eyes in the Michaelis manor. And yet… he found himself thinking about his demon master. He had also been there ever since Ciel had opened his eyes in the Michaelis manor. Yes, he hadn't been the most welcoming of hosts, but he had given him a place to stay. He had provided him with an excellent tutor, giving him an educational opportunity that only a lucky few could hope to receive. Little by little, the supernatural being had let him into his secretive and twisted world, and even though Ciel knew he was barely scratching the surface when it came to knowing about Sebastian Michaelis, he was eager to learn even more about his mysterious master. Not only that, the demon had sometimes gone out of his way to rescue him from predicaments that probably would've killed or seriously injured him. Could he just leave him behind to follow a being that only had his past as a possible means to gain Ciel's trust? He breathed out shakily, his breath instantly fogging in front of his frost-bitten lips. Tiredly, he blinked, his eyes no longer sensitive to the light shining off of the supernatural being.

'_I… agree…_' he finally responded. For an odd reason, he felt his heart sink, but he ignored his feelings. He couldn't continue to blindly hang onto someone who hurt him the majority of the time; he had to move on. He had to find out who he really is and carve out his own destiny without using Sebastian as a crutch. The mysterious being made a triumphant noise; Ciel shivered when he felt a warm hand caress his frozen cheek. For just a moment, Ciel could clearly see violet eyes and hair as white as the snow that was whipping violently around the pair. A smile that could make grown men cry from the sheer amount of love and care contained in it adorned the supernatural being's perfect and kind face. Ciel could faintly see what looked like wings; he confirmed that they were indeed wings when a white feather lightly brushed over his face as the being rustled its wings. The winged-figure leaned so close to Ciel that he thought it was going to kiss him. It stopped millimeters away from his chapped and bleeding lips and locked eyes with Ciel. In a loving and harmonious tone, it whispered, "I will come for you soon, my darling…"

And just like that, the being disappeared, leaving Ciel bare to the elements once again.

Exhausted, Ciel allowed for his eyes to fall closed again.

**XXX**

"Ciel!" Sebastian called again. The demon had been searching the area around his manor for a little over an hour. The immortal had figured that Ciel couldn't have gotten far, considering the intensity of the storm and Ciel's physical condition. Despite his logic, he hadn't found the elusive child, and that fact was starting to make the raven feel a little desperate. Just a few moments ago, he had completely lost contact with the boy's mental presence. That could only mean one of two things.

One, Ciel had fallen asleep.

Two, another being had gotten to Ciel before Sebastian and was blocking their mental communication.

Although option two seemed a little far-fetched (honestly, what immortal would be foolish enough to wander around in a winter storm looking for defenseless humans to prey on?), Sebastian wasn't completely ruling that option out since the contact between them had been ended a tad too abruptly to be the result of Ciel falling asleep. The idea that another being could potentially be harming or stealing Ciel from him made the demon increase his searching speed. He was dressed accordingly, wearing a winter coat that had plenty of fur inside of it to keep him warm, a pair of hunting boots that were lined with fur on the inside to prevent frostbite, a pair of winter gloves, also containing a lining of fur to keep his hands from freezing, and a fur cap that covered the top of his head and his ears; of course, Sebastian didn't actually need such attire. He didn't feel the elements as easily as humans did. But Ciel was human, and he was planning to give the items to the petite child to give him some warmth before he took him back to the manor.

Sebastian sprinted through the snow, looking for any signs that his pet had been in the area he was searching. It was a foolish idea, and the immortal knew that, considering how much snow must've piled up in the time between Ciel's departure and Sebastian's search. Regardless, Sebastian was willing to do anything to prove that he wasn't a liar; he would find Ciel and return him safe and sound to the manor, just like he had promised Madam Red, Lizzy, and the four servants. Besides, if the Michaelis head of household couldn't find one child in a winter storm, where would the Michaelis name be?

But finding Ciel was proving to be a much more arduous task than the demon had anticipated. Even when he had been able to trace Ciel's faint mental connection, the wind and snow had somehow managed to scramble it, making it difficult for Sebastian to follow. Now that there wasn't even that to follow, Sebastian was basically on a wild goose chase.

_I swear, when I find that boy, he is going to regret walking out of the manor. What was he thinking? Surely he isn't foolish enough to leave just because I hit him… There had better be a good excuse for this irrational behavior, or else…_

"CIEL! Where are you?" Sebastian yelled, his voice coming out as a faint whisper against the howling wind. The demon cursed; it was impossible to hear anything out here, let alone be able to see anything. For all he knew, he could've run right past Ciel. The demon growled in frustration, cursing the storm and his pet for causing so much trouble. Sebastian continued to walk, each step making him more pissed at Ciel. He wasn't bothered by the storm; what bothered him was that Ciel was making him do something he normally never did.

He was making Sebastian worry.

Sebastian had figured that since he had been turned into a demon that he would lose such humane emotions and only have possession of sinful and demonic ones. It had seemed that his assumption was holding true for many centuries, and yet, here he was, feeling worry for a human who was foolish enough to run right into a winter storm.

The raven-haired noble continued trudging through the quickly rising snow. When he turned his head to the side to try and see if a petite figure was struggling through the blizzard, the demon felt the ground give way. Sebastian gracefully launched from the spot and ended up jumping over a huge hunting pit. When the demon landed, he looked curiously at the hunting pit.

_I don't remember having hunting pits on my grounds. Perhaps some foolish hunters have dug one without my permission. No, that's asinine. Every person knows about the Michaelis name and property; to dig a pit on my grounds would be suicide._

Sebastian straightened himself out, continuing to look quizzically at the large hole in the ground. The immortal couldn't seem to shake the strong sense of intuition to look into the pit. Sighing, the raven-haired male walked to the edge of the pit and anticipated seeing an unfortunate animal stuck at the bottom.

_Perhaps I can take the animal out of the pit. It would be quite amusing to see the hunter or hunters' defeated looks when he or they realize he or they will not be eating again…_

Sadistic feelings stirred in Sebastian's chest, causing the demon to smirk with happiness. When he reached the edge of the pit, he was humming a victory tune of sorts. He prepared himself to jump into the hole and take whatever animal had been unfortunate enough to fall into it. He peered over the edge and felt his breath, no, his world stop.

Ciel, with a huge tree branch on top of his lower half, was lying motionlessly in the hunting pit. Shock quickly gave way to an adrenaline rush that would leave most humans' heads spinning. Quicker than lightning, the immortal took no time to think and jumped into the pit. He landed a little to the left of Ciel's frozen body; an unwanted spike in his anxiety levels occurred when Ciel didn't respond to Sebastian's movement. Cautiously, Sebastian moved closer to the lifeless child. His eyes took in every detail of Ciel's frozen body, and he couldn't help but to internally shudder. Just like in his thoughts earlier that evening, snow was sticking to Ciel's pale and beatific face and starting to bury his petite body. But even in the demon's mind, he hadn't thought that he would find Ciel in **this** bad of a condition.

His lips that were once rosy and softer than rose petals were now a disturbing blue-black color. Blood was slowly trailing from the severe cracks in the tender skin that Sebastian loved to nip. Except for a few scratches on his face, Ciel's face hadn't suffered any serious damage. His nose and ears, however, were a completely different story. Ciel's entire button nose was the exact same color as his destroyed lips. His ears had also become victims of the winter storm, and Sebastian was positive that the boy's toes and fingers were exactly the same color as his nose, ears, and lips: blue-black. Sebastian didn't need Madam Red by his side to diagnose the child; it was quite clear to the demon what was happening to Ciel. He was experiencing severe frostbite along with a possible case of hypothermia (1).

The immortal's eyes flicked away from Ciel's frostbitten body and to the heavy tree limb that was currently holding the boy in place. No doubt Ciel had tried to get out from under the tree so he could continue with his ludicrous plan to run away.

_Honestly, you would think he would learn that he can't escape me…_

Sebastian shook his head before he moved towards the tree branch. Barely breaking a sweat, the demon managed to pull the branch out of the frozen ground. He threw the unwanted part of the tree out of the pit and was relieved to see that Ciel's lower body hadn't been crushed. His relief was instantly replaced with a need to take action, and he immediately dropped to his knees beside Ciel. The demon knew the boy wasn't dead; he could still feel Ciel's life energy, albeit weakly. He needed Ciel to regain consciousness immediately so that he wouldn't die when Sebastian took him back to the manor. The longer the boy remained asleep, the more likely it was that he would pass on. The pale man leaned down so his face was in line with Ciel's frozen one, their lips mere centimeters apart.

"Ciel!" Sebastian called loudly, knowing that if he whispered, the wind would easily overpower his voice. Lightly, he smacked Ciel's cheek, feeling another spike of anxiety at how stiff and cold the skin was. When there was no visible reaction, Sebastian smacked Ciel a little harder, his voice's volume rising as well.

"Ciel, answer me. Open your eyes, my pet!" Sebastian nearly yelled. When the demon's only response was Ciel's head rolling lifelessly to the side, Sebastian started shaking Ciel's shoulders, careful not to shake him hard enough in case any of his severely frostbitten parts were damaged enough to where they could fall off (2).

'_Ciel, wake up!' _Sebastian mentally shouted, thinking that Ciel's ears might've been damaged to the point where he couldn't hear the demon's voice. Sebastian shook Ciel even harder, his movements and mental voice slightly desperate now. There was no way that he had been too late; Sebastian had sworn to never be late after… that day.

_No… I'm not too late… I'm not!_

Just thinking about that day caused Sebastian's anxiety to rise to even higher levels. '_Ciel, open your eyes! It's an order!' _Sebastian ordered. When Ciel didn't respond for what felt like hours, Sebastian felt his heart drop.

It couldn't be…

There was just no way…

There.

Sebastian felt a wave of relief wash over him as Ciel's face twitched imperceptibly. His bleeding lips shakily opened just a little before they fell shut again. And then, Ciel's visible eye weakly fluttered open. Sebastian immediately wrapped an arm around Ciel's shoulders, lifting him up into a lounging position so his whole body wasn't resting on the cold snow anymore. Ciel looked wearily at his master, cursing fate and anything that could've possibly made his demon master find him. It was just the boy's luck that after he swore to move on and leave the demon that Sebastian decides to come and find him.

_I… had been… so close… to… falling… asleep. So… tired…_

Sebastian's eyebrow twitched at Ciel's mental thought. "Are you stupid? Surely after Tanaka's tutoring, you know what would've happened if you had fallen asl-"

'_Stop! Just… stop!' _Ciel mentally shouted. His voice was passionate and, dare Sebastian say, upset. Of course, it was impossible to detect those emotions on Ciel's frozen face or in his eye. The demon was pleased that Ciel's hearing hadn't been affected by frostbite, but he was also confused by his pet's outburst.

"Stop what, my troublesome pet?" Sebastian asked, slightly annoyed by Ciel's attitude. Didn't the boy realize how much trouble his juvenile decision had caused? He, a mere servant, had made his master come out in the middle of a blizzard! Of course, Sebastian wasn't expecting any medal or award for his selfless act, but at least a "thank you" or even just a grateful personality would be nice.

Ciel saw the flicker of annoyance in his master's red eyes, and it made his stomach lurch. The demon had done it again! '_Stop… treating people's… feelings… like a child's… game! How can… you act concerned… one moment and then… be annoyed the next? Are you… bipolar? Or perhaps… you are… just… cruel!' _Ciel managed to say. Ciel honestly was at a loss when it came to his master. When the boy had opened his eyes, although reluctantly, he couldn't deny the faint warmth that had settled in his chest when he saw the worry and concern in the demon's eyes. But less than a few seconds later, his master had insulted him! The demon had the nerve to be annoyed with Ciel!

_It's not… as if I… chose to… fall into… a pit and get… stuck!_

Sebastian chose not to respond to Ciel's actual conversational thought, deciding to save the boy's words for later analysis. "But you **did** choose to run away. Do you know how foolish that was? Do you know how much trouble your childish decision made? For someone who claims to be mature, you certainly didn't make a very mature decision tonight. The entire manor is worried about you; because of you, everyone is losing sleep and possibly their sanity!" Sebastian scolded, his eyes flashing with irritation. Ciel's cerulean eye filled with anger, his pride taking many slaps from Sebastian's scolding.

'_I didn't… ask for anyone… to worry about me! And… if I'm… so much trouble, why… don't you… just leave… me… alone? I didn't… ask for you… to save me!' _Ciel shouted back. The child butler was fed up, his heart racing with adrenaline. If he could've moved his arms, Ciel would've been beating the shit out of his master right now. It was completely unfair; here Ciel was, frozen and weakened from the snow, and he was getting yelled at by his master.

"Our contract is absolute, Ciel. You know this," Sebastian stated tiredly, feeling inconvenienced by the whole situation. Ciel didn't miss the sigh that followed the demon's statement, and he couldn't deny the hurt that stabbed at his heart. He didn't want to go back to this. He would rather die than suffer under the hands of this demon again. Ciel figured that the only way he could get away from this being that continued to hurt him in more ways than one was to do or say something so horrible that Sebastian would want him dead.

'_I broke… your ring. And then… I ran away… because I knew that… you would kick me out,'_ Ciel lied coolly. Sebastian's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before a sour look formed on his face.

"Don't lie to me," Sebastian responded in a dangerous tone. Ciel looked emotionlessly at his master, not deterred by Sebastian's tone.

'_I hated that thing. It was so… ugly and gaudy. When you… gave it to… me, I was quite displeased. It was… worthless to… me. You probably… gave it to me… just to take a burden… off of your shoulders. I was pleased… when I saw it… shatter,' _Ciel pressed on in an amused tone.

**SMACK!**

Ciel's heart jumped into his throat as his eye managed to widen. Sebastian's eyes were blazing with a fury that Ciel had never seen before. His face was clearly showing his wrath; the fact that the part of the pit's wall where the demon had smacked his hand into had crumbled was a testament to how angry Sebastian was. The raven-haired male couldn't believe the words that were coming out of Ciel's mind. Did the child think he wasn't serious when he had told him not to lie to him? Ciel could only look with shock at Sebastian's twisted facial features; the anger the demon was feeling was coming off of him in waves, and Ciel shivered, not from the cold, but from the sheer intensity of his master's feelings. The arm that was still around Ciel's body was trembling as Sebastian tried to reign in his emotions.

"I told you… to stop lying to me," Sebastian slowly hissed out after a tense silence settled over the pair. Ciel refused to admit that he was frightened by the look in his master's eyes. He looked haughtily at the older male for a moment, the shock that was once in his eye no longer present.

'_Just because… that ring is important to you-'_

"It's important to you as well! You just don't remember!" Sebastian suddenly blurted out. Ciel gasped inaudibly, his eye looking confused. Sebastian immediately regretted his outburst and forced himself to calm down before he said anything more. Ciel, on the other hand, was starting to get a pounding headache. That ring… Ciel winced when he suddenly saw a flash.

**FLASHBACK**

_Ciel was sitting in his bedroom; he was about 8 years old, judging by the proudly carved tallies in the wall over the headboard of his bed. The floors were splintered in some spots, but most of the wooden floor just looked worn. There were several childish pictures hung up all around the room, and some battered toys were littering the floor. The room itself wasn't too large; the door was only a few feet away from the bed, which was right by the opposite wall. There was a small window on the wall beside the bed, giving Ciel a view of rolling fields of wheat, corn, and other crops he couldn't properly identify. He was sitting on a mattress that had straw filling; he knew this because bits of the material were poking through the holes in the side. Excitedly, he bounced on the worn mattress, a large smile on his cherubic face. He had just come in from outside, so his normally rosy cheeks were smudged with dirt._

_He looked down at his hand and saw a beautiful ring sitting on his thumb. The shining blue stone completely captured Ciel's attention; his eyes refused to look away from it. Ever since he had received it, he had never taken it off of his thumb. Even when his mother berated him to remove it while he was taking his baths, Ciel would childishly pout and force his eyes to fill with tears. He would keep looking at his mother with sad, teary eyes and a pout that would break the evilest man's heart until he got his way._

_Now, he was twirling it on his thumb, his tiny legs swinging from the edge of the bed. He bit his bottom lip, trying his hardest to keep himself from squealing. He had never felt so excited before; the butterflies in his tummy refused to go away. But Ciel wanted to be stoic like his father, and since his father never squealed, Ciel swore to himself that he wouldn't squeal anymore either. Suddenly, a hand that wasn't as large as his father's but still large enough to effectively ruffle his dark-colored locks, rested affectionately on his head. Ciel could feel his heart nearly leap out of his chest._

_**Darn butterflies! Stop flapping around so much! You guys are gonna make me squeal, and then that'll mean that I can't be like my daddy! So… go away already!**_

_The simple touch cemented the eight-year-old's decision, and a look of seriousness that was ruined by a large smile formed on Ciel's face. With sparkling blue eyes, he looked down at the ring that dwarfed his thumb. Pride swelled in his heart as he carefully slipped it off of his finger. "Here!" he heard himself say, "I want to give this to you… I know you will keep it safe," he said in a softer tone. The hand on his head gently ruffled his hair before it migrated to his shoulder. Gently, he was pulled closer to his companion until he was encircled by a pair of strong arms. He felt safe and would've been at peace if it weren't for the butterflies that seemed to be multiplying in the confines of his little tummy. Ignoring them, he smiled widely and looked up to see a face with blurred features… but if he looked close enough, he could see a hint of-_

**END OF FLASHBACK**

Ciel squeezed his eyes shut as a mind-shattering bolt of pain raced through his head. He felt like his head was being drilled into while simultaneously being slammed into a brick wall over and over again. If he could've physically moved, he would've clutched his head; the most he could do in his current situation was grimace, and even that took effort. Sebastian winced as well, their connection causing him to feel some of Ciel's pain. The demon wasn't sure why Ciel was experiencing such a sudden and particularly strong burst of pain, but he couldn't shake the suspicion that it had to do with what he had just said.

"Ciel-"

'_**Don't**__! Don't… call my… name, like I'm… important. Like… I'm a human in your… eyes. I'm just a tool… an object… to fulfill your desires… and whims,' _Ciel vehemently interjected. Even though Sebastian obviously saw the rage in Ciel's beautiful eye, he could also see just a little past the layer of hatred and anger; he saw emotional pain, confusion, resignation, and layers upon layers of hurt.

Ciel wasn't sure why Sebastian's face suddenly looked troubled after his statement. He hadn't said anything particularly demeaning towards the demon; he had just been stating the truth. Sebastian didn't view him as anything important… as something that contained value. It wasn't hard to come to that conclusion based on his actions towards the young boy. The only time the demon truly **looked** at Ciel was when they were having sex; even then, Ciel figured that the demon only saw him as important at those times because Ciel was helping him fulfill one of his more base desires. Any other time, and it was fair game for the demon to tug at Ciel's heart, sometimes in good ways, but mostly in debilitating ways that made the young teen want to rip his heart out of his chest, just so he could **stop** feeling.

Yet, Ciel found that he had grown to care deeply for his master, regardless of the treatment he was subjected to every day.

And it was because he cared, that Ciel didn't speak out against the demon's actions against him, no matter how much Ciel was physically, mentally, or emotionally hurt. Ciel was no fool; he knew that the demon had to be experiencing some form of inner turmoil after living for over five centuries. He had even seen evidence of his master's suffering in the dead of night, on the rare occasions that the boy wouldn't be able to sleep. He had heard the frenzied whispers, the muffled cries of agony, when he would sleepily stumble around the halls.

Once, the door to the demon's bedroom had been slightly cracked. Ciel couldn't deny the curiosity that had been growing inside of him when he had heard what sounded like a child crying. After he had debated with himself for at least 10 minutes, the boy had given into his desire and peeked into the crack.

The boy had been horrified by what he had seen.

His master had been on his knees in the middle of his barely furnished room, his hands clutching his arms so hard that Ciel had been able to see dark stains in the expensive material of the demon's bathrobe. No doubt, the stains had to have been blood, were the thoughts that had gone through Ciel's head. Another child-like whimper had slipped from his master's lips, and Ciel had barely been able to hold back the scream of horror that had clawed at his throat when his master brought his hands to his face. Ciel's eyes had widened when the demon's nails had elongated to form knife-like extensions. Sebastian had brought his claws to his perfect face… and had started to violently claw at himself, screams of agony and self-hatred pouring from his lips like the blood that had been running down his once pristine face. Seeing his master in pain had caused a terrible hurt to claw at the boy's heart, and before Ciel had been able to reign himself in, he had released a weak cry of his master's name and burst into the room. He had run to his master's side and attempted to pull the demon's hands away from his face; of course, he had been met with resistance, the demon's strength easily overpowering Ciel's. Regardless, Ciel had not given up and continued pulling at the demon's hands, practically screaming in the immortal's face to cease his actions.

When Ciel had found himself lying on his back, pinned to the floor by his panting and bleeding master, the boy knew that "Sebastian" had not been with him at that moment. His normally calm and mostly emotionless eyes had been swirling with some of the darkest forms of self-hatred, agony, and loneliness. His face, now destroyed, had been barely recognizable: strips of skin had been embedded under the demon's nails and hanging from various parts of his face, patches of muscle peeking through the deeper gashes, and blood running in rivulets to stain the demon's clothing and Ciel's face. The boy had frozen underneath the agonized immortal for only a moment, his natural instincts telling him to fear and run away from the monster above him, before he had relaxed his body and slowly closed his eyes, resigning himself to his master's whims. It had been foolish for the boy to trust his physical wellbeing to someone in Sebastian's state, but as the demon descended on Ciel's prone form, taking the boy in his arms and repeatedly penetrating his most intimate of secrets right there on the floor, Ciel had felt safe. Nowhere in Sebastian's actions, even if some of them had caused physical pain, had there been intent to cause physical harm to the young boy, despite the demon's obviously questionable mental state. The child butler had taken it all in stride, allowing for his master to take him as many times as he had wanted until Ciel had fainted from physical exhaustion. If Ciel had been able to focus through the haze of pain and slight pleasure, he could've been able to describe the demon's actions as loving.

When the boy had awakened in his own bed the following morning, wrapped in clean clothes (his original nightwear had been blood- and fluid-stained) and safely tucked in his own bed, Ciel had felt proud and accomplished. The fact that he had been taken care of so kindly after what had happened the night before made Ciel believe that he had somehow helped to heal his master and bring him back to his normal mental state. To be able to assist his master in such an important way was what helped the child get through his agonizing day.

It was after that particular night that Ciel had started caring about his master more than himself. It was from that time on that the boy had tried not to take his master's words to heart as often, that he tried not to curse the demon when he was a little too rough with him. Ciel knew that Sebastian had his demons, and the boy was determined to help Sebastian deal with them, even if it caused physical, mental, and emotional harm to his person.

But now, as he was held in his master's arms, Ciel found that he just couldn't take it anymore. He had truly tried, he really had, but it was just too much now. He was only human; there was only so much he could take before it just became too much. Ciel had known when he had first decided to help his master relieve himself of the pain and agony caused by the immortal's inner demons, that he would eventually break, whether it was physically, mentally, emotionally, or a combination of all three.

That moment was now.

Ciel continued to speak, despite his master's confusing facial expression. '_And… it's perfectly fine. In life, we all have… our assigned roles. Mine... is to be a tool… for my master. I am… merely a pawn... on your chessboard labeled 'Life'. And… even though I have… difficulty accepting… that fact, it is… the truth.' _Tiredly, Ciel locked eyes with his master, weakly exhaling through his severely frost-bitten lips. Sebastian was silent, allowing for the boy to say what he had to say. But with each word that traveled between their minds, the demon found it harder to stay quiet.

Finally, he couldn't stop himself.

'_That ring… I'm terribly sorry… for not taking better… care of it. Even though… you entrusted something so valuable to me, I… wasn't able to fulfill my duty… and protect it. I ran… like a coward… because I knew… just how much more important… that ring is than me-'_

"Ahabal!" Sebastian finally shouted, abruptly cutting Ciel off (3). Ciel's eyes widened a bit when he saw the look of frustration in his master's rose-red eyes. Before Ciel could even catch his breath, he was suddenly enveloped in a bone-crushing hug. A gasp escaped the young teen's frozen lips, causing the demon to hug him even tighter. Sebastian buried his face in the boy's shoulder, simply inhaling his servant's unique scent; Ciel remained frozen in his master's arms, confused not only by the language Sebastian had just spoken in, but surprised by his master's physical reaction as well. For a moment, neither party spoke or moved; the only sounds in the air were the harsh whistling of the wind and the creaking of the tree above the pit. Ciel slowly blinked, trying to think of what he should do.

'_Master-'_

"If you truly believe that a ring, a material possession created by human hands, is more important to me than your life… than you, at ahuvati, then you have an intelligence level below that of a flea!" Sebastian shouted over the howling of the wind, his eyes intense and focused only on Ciel. Ciel could practically feel his heart crash into his ribs from how hard it had thumped. His eyes were as wide as saucers as he stared at his master; he didn't even think to be angry at the insults hidden in Sebastian's statement. Ciel was even more baffled when he could feel warmth slowly settling on his frozen cheeks, causing his too-white skin to finally have a bit of color. Sebastian continued, not even noticing his servant's surprise or blush. The immortal leaned close to his servant, his lips brushing against Ciel's destroyed ones as he whispered, "There is **nothing**, not a single person, not a single material item, that is more important to me than you. I will not say this again, so don't ask for me to repeat myself, my pet: in both the human and the demon world, you are the one thing that I care about the most."

Ciel found that he forgot how to breathe. His wide eyes looked deep into Sebastian's own, the blush on his cheeks darkening to be slightly darker than a pale pink. The boy had felt more than heard Sebastian's words, but the fact that such words had slipped out of his master's mouth left the child breathless. Repeatedly, his master's words played in his consciousness. He, Ciel Phantomhive, was the most important thing to Sebastian? It was hard for the boy to believe, and like always, he approached the current situation with suspicion. He searched the immortal's eyes for a hint of deception, amusement, or even false emotions. What the boy found, however, made his lungs collapse in his chest. An immeasurable amount of seriousness, passion… and care, were the only things present in his master's eyes. Ciel shakily swallowed, his lips trembling as they brushed against Sebastian's from their close proximity.

"My lord… don't lie to me… anymore," he mouthed. A slight hint of amusement filtered into his master's passionate eyes. His lips slowly formed into a smirk as he responded:

"You should know this by now, at ahuvati," his tone became more passionate as he whispered, "I never lie."

When Sebastian's lips finally enveloped Ciel's in a kiss laced with emotions that only lovers would possess, Ciel felt a very strong prickling in his eyes. His heart practically broke one of his ribs from how hard it was pounding, his lungs somehow managing to fill with air from the young teen's sharp inhale when the older male's lips had finally captured his. Somehow, his arms found some strength and were able to cup his master's face as he reciprocated the kiss, his own lips responding weakly to his master's passion. The moment Ciel's ice-cold hands touched Sebastian's cheeks, the demon pulled Ciel closer to his body. Ciel's hands shook as he allowed for his master to control the kiss, which was becoming more passionate by the second. Ciel found that he didn't care; all ill feelings he had towards the demon seemed to be eaten away by his master's kiss. Slowly, the boy's visible eye fell closed, and for a second, Sebastian was worried that the boy was falling asleep, but when the child's hands slipped from his face to wrap around his neck, his lips slightly parting, Sebastian's momentary worry was quickly erased.

With their bodies pressed so closely together, it was painstakingly clear the degree of the temperature difference between the master and servant. Sebastian, deciding to use this kiss for more than just conveying his feelings, closed his own eyes and started pulling at his demonic powers. After sliding his tongue into Ciel's open mouth, he carefully started to transfer some of his own body heat through the kiss, making sure that he didn't send too much at once. He held Ciel still, making sure the boy didn't make any jerky movements. Ciel gasped loudly into the kiss, his eyes snapping open when he suddenly felt something hot slipping into his mouth and sliding down his throat. Although he could feel his body temperature rising, the feeling of raw heat sliding down his throat and spreading throughout his body was both strange and slightly painful.

'_What-?'_

'_Don't panic, my pet,' _Sebastian calmly interjected, pulling Ciel even closer as he slightly increased the amount of heat that was being transferred. The demon was watching Ciel closely, only wanting to bring his body heat up to where the boy could at least attempt to naturally heat himself up; in other words, until the boy started to shiver. The power he was using was only supposed to be used to bring beings out of deathly temperature levels; if used when a being could properly heat or attempt to heat itself up, the power could backfire and cause the being to overheat. '_I'm merely providing you with some of my own body heat until your body can properly heat itself_,' the demon explained. Ciel slowly blinked, confusion flitting across his features as he continued to kiss and receive heat from his master. Then, it suddenly hit him, and he jerked in his master's arms.

'_You're losing… body heat, my lord. Stop immediately,' _Ciel ordered, squirming in the demon's arms to prevent him from transferring any more heat.

'_Don't move, Ciel. That's an order,' _Sebastian calmly responded. A sharp pain shot through Ciel's contracted eye, and the butler froze, his eyes expressing his anger at the situation.

'_Master!' _he barked, his visible eye narrowing, '_You're being an outright fool! If you give… your body heat to me, you're going to make yourself bare to the elements,' _Ciel stated. Sebastian didn't respond for a moment, which only made Ciel more pissed.

'_A little cold won't hurt, at ahuvati…'_

'_Don't you dare insult me, you… you…' _Ciel shivered as he tried to think of a great comeback in response to Sebastian's insult. Sebastian immediately stopped transferring heat to Ciel when he felt the boy shiver. Ciel, disoriented from the sudden loss of continuous heat and the kiss, could only blink slowly as Sebastian laid him back on the snow. The demon moved quickly, unbuttoning his fur coat and shedding his gloves and hat. The raven-haired immortal started dressing Ciel; when he removed Ciel's working gloves, he couldn't help but to furrow his eyebrows at the blue-black color of Ciel's fingers. Careful not to move the damaged areas too much, the demon slipped the thick gloves onto Ciel's hands.

When the boy was fully dressed in Sebastian's outerwear, the demon couldn't help but to chuckle at Ciel's appearance. Because the clothes were fitted to fit someone of Sebastian's stature, the petite preteen was practically buried in them, his head just barely peeking out from the large fur coat. Sebastian's chuckle snapped Ciel out of his daze.

'_Master, put your clothes back on!'_

'_I do believe that's the first time I've heard you say such a thing. Usually, you say the opposite while you're writhing underneath m-'_

'_MASTER!'_

**XXX**

Sebastian stared silently at Ciel's trembling form as the boy continued to sleep. The demon's red eyes watched as Ciel's forehead furrowed, his normally peaceful face looking troubled. The boy's breaths were shaky, and he would occasionally cough and wheeze for air. Sebastian removed the now-dry cloth resting on Ciel's forehead, dipped it into the cold water basin and gently pressed the now-cool cloth to Ciel's burning forehead; he couldn't help but to sigh as Ciel wheezed again, his lungs sounding like they were going to collapse in any second.

The demon couldn't deny that he was slightly apprehensive about his servant's physical condition. When the two had been traveling back to the manor, Ciel had suddenly started coughing violently. Sebastian had dismissed it as a passing aftereffect from the cold wind that had been blowing on the two, but when Ciel suddenly placed a hand over his mouth and vomited all over his hand, clothes, and Sebastian, the demon had instantly known something was wrong. He had picked up the already fast pace they had been traveling at, cursing under his breath when he saw that Ciel was starting to fall unconscious. Ciel's body had started falling limp, and Sebastian had mentally yelled at him to keep him awake, but it had no effect on the boy. The boy's eyes had been drooping, but Sebastian could still identify the panic as the boy sent a mental message that he couldn't breathe; then, Ciel had passed out.

Sebastian had burst into his manor to find all of his servants, Lizzy, Madam Red, and Grell waiting in the entrance hall. The female death god's eyes had widened when they locked on Ciel's body, and she had wasted no time in snatching him from Sebastian's grasp. Lizzy had immediately broken down into tears and had to be taken to her room by Maylene. Bard and Finny had berated Sebastian with questions, while Tanaka had coolly observed, waiting for an order from his master. Sebastian had ignored everyone else and was about to follow Madam Red so that he could hear the diagnosis for his servant, but Grell had latched onto his arm and started whining and complaining about how he cared more about a pathetic servant than his fiancée.

Sebastian rubbed his eyes, remembering how he had finally snapped at the death god; he hadn't yelled. No, that would be beneath someone of his stature. He had sharply spoken to the red-haired immortal, telling him that he needed to remember the original reason for their engagement. He had no plans to romantically involve himself with the death god, let alone marry him. He was beyond annoyed with the other male's behavior, and he was tempted to snap his neck at least once just to get him to shut up for a moment. He had said other demoralizing and hateful things to Grell until he was finally finished. It had felt great to finally get all of his pent up frustration off of his chest…

… until the death god had whipped out his death scythe and screeched to high heaven and the lower levels of hell that he was going to shred Ciel into a million pieces for brainwashing his "darling" Sebastian. Sebastian had just sighed, feeling a new set of frustrated and annoyed feelings replacing the ones he had just lost, and proceeded to give the redhead a roundhouse kick into a wall, ordering Tanaka to confiscate the death scythe and take the immortal to his room for the night.

Madam Red had been anything but cordial when the demon had finally caught up to her. When he had entered Ciel's room, he was shocked to see Ciel being stripped of his clothing. The death god had barked an order at Sebastian to get naked; he needed to sleep with Ciel so that the boy's body temperature could slowly rise again. The demon's eyes had widened slightly, but when the woman had glared at him, hissing at him to hurry up or get the hell out, the immortal had sighed and slowly started stripping. For modesty's sake, he had left his undergarments on; Madam Red had rolled her eyes, saying she had seen Grell naked so many times it should've been considered a crime.

Sebastian had watched as the noble carefully removed the gloves from Ciel's hands; her mouth had thinned as she observed Ciel's severely frost-bitten extremities. The more layers that were stripped from Ciel, the thinner the death god's mouth had become. Occasionally, she had shot Sebastian looks that screamed at him that Ciel's current physical condition was his fault; Sebastian hadn't responded, simply waiting for the death god to tell him to lie down beside his frostbitten servant. When Madam Red had finished undressing Ciel, she started listing off all of Ciel's health problems: severe frostbite, severe hypothermia, a Coryza with a fever that was quickly worsening the longer Ciel remained in a severe hypothermic state, and a severe asthmatic attack, most likely aggravated by the blizzard and Coryza.

Sebastian hadn't been too surprised by Madam Red's diagnoses; however, the severe asthma attack had completely caught the demon off-guard. The boy had never complained of breathing problems; in fact, Ciel seemed to be the perfect picture of health when it came to exercise. He was the ideal human to have around: too stubborn to allow physical exhaustion to stop him from continuing with whatever task he was assigned, but also realistic enough to know when his body had reached its limits. The boy had never shown any signs of having trouble with his breathing; understandably, Ciel would get winded after an arduously long fight or particularly strenuous housework, but Sebastian had attributed that to the physical limitations all humans possessed.

But now that Sebastian was thinking more about Madam Red's diagnosis about Ciel's asthma, the demon realized that it shouldn't have come as such a shock. A memory was surfacing as the immortal lied naked next to his sick servant, holding the boy close so that Ciel could slowly receive his body heat.

**FLASHBACK**

"_Vincent… Ciel is-"_

"_I know, Rachel, I know…"_

"_I just don't understand how…"_

"_He was moving too much…"_

"_But we told him that he couldn't overexert himself…"_

"_He's a child, Rachel. It's expected that he'll…"_

"_But he's not a… healthy child, Vincent… He has…"_

"_The doctor says he might outgrow it…"_

"_But what if he doesn't? Then it'll all be my fault for…"_

"_Come now, love! We can't blame Ciel's health…"_

"_He has asthma, Vincent. Just like me…"_

_**Asthma? I believe I've heard of that health problem before… I do believe it has to do with breathing… **__Sebastian tuned out the rest of the mortals' conversation as he racked his brain for the specifics of this human affliction. He had had plenty of time to read up on the latest health problems that were impacting the human race, but since there was so much change in merely the names of the diseases, let alone the symptoms and signs of each in the last century, it took Sebastian a little more time to clearly remember both the name and the symptoms associated with it._

"_It's not polite to listen to other people's conversations, Mr. Demon," a small voice suddenly piped up, jerking Sebastian from his mental thoughts. Sebastian turned around and appraised the tiny body that was buried underneath mounds of sheets. The demon could barely make out the small human's mop of messy blue-gray hair, let alone his feverish face. He was propped up a little, but even the pillows that were surrounding the child's head looked like they were suffocating him. Deciding that the boy's current position looked less than comfortable, Sebastian silently made his way over to the child and removed the first two layers of quilts and comforters; hearing the boy sigh a little caused a small smirk to form on the demon's face. Carefully, he helped the little male sit up, using the pillows that were once suffocating him to keep him propped up. The boy looked gratefully at the demon, although his eyes and smile were a little tired. The demon attributed the boy's physically weak appearance to the after-effects of the severe asthma attack he was still recovering from._

"_It's also not polite to make your parents worry, Ciel," Sebastian calmly countered when he decided that the silence had dragged on long enough. Ciel's pallid face immediately flushed, and he looked away from the now-smug demon. The boy crossed his arms over his thin chest before looking back at Sebastian; the demon found it highly amusing how the boy attempted to look as strong and confident as his father, even though Ciel was far from reaching that point in both stature and maturity._

"_I… I didn't mean to…" Ciel responded timidly. The demon's brow furrowed for a moment before it relaxed, his face falling back into its regular expression of cool indifference. Ciel bit his lip as he looked down at his blanket-covered lap, guilt clearly showing itself on the boy's baby-face features. "Were they… talking about me…?" he quietly asked after a moment. The immortal didn't say anything, allowing for the silence to answer the small human's question. Ciel worried his lip even more; seeing this caused Sebastian to feel a little uneasy._

_**He reminds me so much of **__**her**__**… She used to worry her lip just like that…**_

"_You shouldn't do that. If your lip is bruised, your parents may think you are developing…" he paused for a moment as he thought of the current name for this sickness, "… thrush," Sebastian finished (4). The boy looked confusedly at the raven-haired man._

"_I'm gonna turn into grass?" he asked innocently, cocking his head to the side. His teeth went back to biting at his lip after he spoke, making the demon's uneasiness spike again; however, the demon couldn't resist laughing a little at the boy's cute behavior. His blood-red eyes softened as he responded to the child's question._

"_No, you won't turn into grass. It's when…" he trailed off and decided that Ciel wouldn't understand what he was talking about even if he explained thrush in the simplest terms, "Never mind. Just…" He placed his uncovered thumb on the boy's lip and gently tugged it until the boy released the tender flesh from his teeth. The demon's eyes flashed with an emotion that was foreign to the boy._

_**He looks hungry… Maybe I should get him more food!**_

_Sebastian's thumb seemed to have a mind of its own as it softly rubbed over the bruise created by the child's teeth. He could feel his groin stir a bit and his eyes lid as he continued to touch the boy's incredibly soft lip; realizing he was crossing into dangerous territory, he reluctantly pulled his finger away._

"_Just don't bite your lip anymore. It's a bad habit to get into," Sebastian stated stiffly. The boy felt the urge to bite his lip again as he started to think about what it would be like to turn into grass, but since Mr. Demon told him not to do it, the boy decided to fight the urge and not bite his lip. Sebastian, satisfied with the boy's obedience to his word, relaxed a bit. He became tense again when the child suddenly coughed loudly, wheezing painfully as he tried to inhale again. Without a second thought about what his actions would make him think about later that night, tossing him into another cycle of tumultuous thought about the past and __**her**__, Sebastian got onto the bed. He sat himself behind the boy, wrapping one arm securely around the child's shaking shoulders, using the other to gently run up and down the boy's back, trying to help him breathe and relax._

_Ciel rested his head tiredly against the older male's chest when he was able to breathe a little better again. The soft contact made Sebastian's eyes widen slightly; his actions had finally hit him._

_**I'm… I'm offering assistance and comfort to a human being. I'm showing compassion and care to a race I no longer affiliate myself with… to a race I eat. What's wrong with me?**_

_Despite his already-tormented thoughts, Sebastian pulled Ciel a little closer to him, now using both arms to hold the child. Instead of being frightened by the demon's touch, Ciel sighed with content and snuggled closer to Sebastian, causing the demon's brain to practically fry from the sheer oddness of the human's actions._

"_Have you forgotten exactly what I am?" Sebastian finally asked cautiously, still in disbelief over Ciel's behavior._

_Ciel looked confused by Sebastian's tone and statement; with a perplexed facial expression and an innocent look in his big blue eyes, he looked up at the demon. "No, I haven't forgotten…"_

"_Are you not afraid…?"_

"_No, should I be?"_

_Sebastian looked baffled by Ciel's response. __**'Should I be?' Is it possible for a human to be so foolishly naïve? Of **__**course**__** he should be afraid!**_

"_For every human in his/her right mind, the answer would be yes," Sebastian responded after he shook off the shock. Ciel's brow crinkled a little at the demon's response before a bright smile lit up his face. He giggled a little, making Sebastian seriously question if the boy needed a mental evaluation._

"_Then every human just needs to get to know you better, Mr. Demon! If more people took the time to be with and listen to you, they would see that you aren't as cruel and evil as the Church or society believes. They would see that you are the kindest being ever!" Ciel responded brightly._

_Sebastian blinked. __**I must ask his parents to schedule a mental evaluation for their child. **__"I'm… not kind…"_

_Ciel immediately started laughing, the beautiful sound filling the tiny room with figurative light. Sadly, his laughter aggravated his asthma; his coughs caused the hot pack that was resting on his chest to slip off, which Sebastian immediately grabbed and pressed to the boy's thin chest before he vigorously rubbed his back, his expression betraying his worry for the sick child (5). When Ciel finally calmed down and weakly rested against the immortal again, Sebastian gave the human a critical look and opened his mouth to reprimand him for doing such an idiotic thing, but a weak giggle cut him off. Ciel smiled tiredly up at the immortal, his eyes betraying his exhaustion yet gleaming with triumph._

"_See, Mr. Demon…? If you… weren't kind… then you wouldn't have helped me. You certainly wouldn't be so worried either…" Ciel pointed out in a breathless voice. Sebastian's face fell back into its apathetic mask, but his mind was reeling with the child's conclusion._

_**Me… kind? A demon is cruel, sinful, and heartless. But… if that is the case, which I'm sure it is… it has been for several centuries now, then how is it possible for me to worry and be nice to a food source? Perhaps **__**I**__** need the mental evaluation. Most demons would've done something to corrupt him by now. He's far too innocent… too vulnerable; his vulnerability and innocence are what demons feast on. Of course, I've had urges to corrupt him so that I can feed on his tainted soul… and yet, I've fought against those wants and have done the exact opposite. I've cared for him, protected him from harm, and have offered him comfort in times of need. What the hell is wrong with me?**_

"_You should sleep, Ciel. You look far too tired, and you don't want your parents to worry even more, right?" Sebastian said after a few minutes. Ciel looked like he was going to protest but at the mention of his parents, the boy acquiesced and slowly nodded. Sebastian moved from behind the child and helped Ciel lay back down on the worn mattress. The immortal could feel Ciel's eyes on him as he fixed the covers around the boy to where he was both warm and comfortable._

"_Will you… stay with me… until I fall asleep, please?" Ciel asked feebly, as if expecting for Sebastian to answer harshly and leave him alone. The demon paused before he silently nodded, pulling up a stool and starting to sit; when he saw that the boy was scooting over in his already-cramped bed to make room for him, Sebastian couldn't help but smile._

"_You wish for me to lie with you, Ciel?" he asked for clarification. It would certainly be embarrassing if Ciel had just been shifting so that he could sleep in a more comfortable position. A small smile formed on the child's face as he nodded eagerly, patting the space beside him._

"_Yes, please!"_

"_You're quite polite for someone in your social class…" Sebastian commented off-handedly. When Ciel looked confused, the demon sighed and shook his head. "Never mind, Ciel…" When Sebastian somehow managed to fit into the space Ciel made for him, almost immediately, the child clung to Sebastian, causing alarm bells to go off in the older male's head._

"_Ciel…" he began with a warning tone._

"_You won't leave me tonight, right?" Ciel cut in with a hint of worry in his childish voice. The boy looked up at Sebastian with apprehensive eyes, his bottom lip trembling a little. The demon blinked at the amount of vulnerability in Ciel's expression before he silently nodded. Ciel looked relieved; a tiny smile formed on his face as he rested his head on Sebastian's chest. There was no more conversation between the two males. Sebastian figured the child had fallen asleep when Ciel suddenly giggled again._

"_That was silly of me to ask if you'll stay tonight. You're going to stay with me forever! Right, Mr. Demon?" Ciel asked in a cheerful and sleepy tone. Sebastian was stunned speechless; no human had ever __**asked**__ for him to stay by his/her side. Humans would always try to get rid of the demon as soon as they could. Sebastian felt the strong urge to say "no" and kill the boy's hopes before they both got too deeply involved with each other, but the immortal found that he couldn't form the word. As he stared down at Ciel's sleepy and feverish face, the demon just couldn't find it in him to say it._

"_Right… I'll stay with you for all eternity, Ciel…" Sebastian responded softly. Instead of feeling uneasy about making such a binding promise to a human child, Sebastian felt as if a weight had been lifted off of his chest; he could feel his own lips form a gentle smile. The feeling of smiling was so foreign that he was tempted to immediately stop, but what Ciel did next not only kept the smile in place, but caused it to grow. The smile on Ciel's face grew as his beautiful sapphire eyes slipped close. In a sleepy voice, he whispered:_

"_Me too, Mr. Demon. I swear… I won't forget this promise… to you: You'll never ever… be alone… again… because I'll… always… be with… you… Mr. Demon…"_

**END OF FLASHBACK**

The demon pulled the sick and sleeping child closer to him, his blood-red eyes focused intensely on Ciel. In a soft tone that held just a hint of the sadness, he whispered, "Humans are liars, Ciel…" He brushed back Ciel's sweat-dampened bangs and gently kissed the boy's feverish forehead, murmuring against the wet skin, "… and you are no exception."

* * *

(1): ***shudders* So, in case anyone isn't familiar with the characteristics of frostbite, a major sign of severe frostbite is for the outermost parts of a person's body (usually the fingers, ears, lips, nose, and toes) to turn a blue-black color (frostbite itself is just when certain parts of a person's body "freeze" or lose circulation). This is because the blood has stopped flowing to these areas since the body is trying to keep as much heat as possible in the center of the body where the body's most important organs and organ systems are located. If these areas of the body do not have blood circulating through them for too long of a time, these parts of the body could literally die and fall off or be rendered useless. Hypothermia is a condition that forms when the body is both cold and wet, causing the body temperature to fall to severely low levels; it can be deadly if not treated in an appropriate amount of time. Geez, Ciel just can't catch a break when it comes to his health.**

(2): **As I stated in the first note, frostbite can sometimes be so severe that parts of the body actually fall off because they're dead due to lack of circulation. *shudders at the mental image* It is advised that when dealing with someone that has severe frostbite not to move them too much or too hard since this could cause the severely frostbitten parts of the body to fall off.**

(3):** For a change, I'm actually not going to make you guys search on Google to find out what this means. "Ahabal" is Hebrew for "Idiot" (fun fact: In Arabic, "Idiot" is "Ahbal". Isn't it sooo cool how close these two languages are? :D). Isn't that so nice of Sebby to call Ciel that after all that's gone down? - sarcasm**

(4): **Woohoo for another old medical term! *throws festive confetti* Kk, so "Thrush" was basically the old medical term for a childhood disease that was characteristic for its spots that appeared in a child's mouth, on a child's lips, and throat.**

(5):** Back in the Victorian Era, I found that asthma wasn't even properly diagnosed most of the time since most doctors didn't even know of its existence. Those that had asthma attacks were considered to be having a bronchial infection; bronchial infections were treated by placing hot packs (which were simply bags that held hot water) on the afflicted person's chest; hence, why Ciel (who's actually suffering from asthma) is being treated as if he had a bronchial infection. The only reason I'm even saying that Ciel has asthma (which is technically historically inaccurate) is because Yana Toboso diagnosed him that way in the Kuroshitsuji manga, and I feel that I should at least follow some of her character design as closely as possible. ^-^**

* * *

**J-C: *dead asleep***

**~Sasuke~: Well, that was certainly-**

**Naruto: OH MY GOSH, THAT WAS SOOOO SAD, SASUKE! *huggles Sasuke***

**~Sasuke~ Yes, basically. But J-C's editor did say that this one was going to be sad... I apologize in J-C's place to any readers who are bawling their eyes out at the moment. J-C just wants to warn everyone that from this chapter on, the arc will have a sad atmosphere, so be prepared to cry a lot.**

**Naruto: WHY, J-C, WHY? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE THIS ARC SAD?**

**J-C: *wakes up* Wha-What? What's going on...?**

**Naruto: O.O SHE'S AWAKE!**

**~Sasuke~ I had nothing to do with this. Readers, be sure to review Chapter 22. *poofs away***

**J-C: Eh? We're already closing the chapter? Shoot... Well, like Sasuke said (only in a much nicer and more desperate way), PLEASE REVIEW! As you guys can see in your PM inboxes, I did respond to every reviewer this time (except for the anonymous ones, which I will do before I update Chapter 23, I promise!), so I'm not lying when I say that I'm going to respond to each one I receive. ^0^ Even if you don't leave a review, I still thank you profusely for waiting to read this chapter; your patience is much appreciated. ^-^ Thankies so much for all the reviews, alerts, and favs that I keep receiving. You guys are just too amazing for words. *sniffs with happy tears before focusing on Naruto* And what was Sasuke talking about when he poofed away?**

**Naruto: Nothing~**

**J-C: *suspicious and raises her hand to scratch her head in thought. Sees the Sharpie drawings and goes into a rage* NARUTO! WTF IS TH-?**

**Naruto: Ja ne for now, everyone! *runs away***

**J-C: NARUTO! D:**


	23. The Graveyard

**J-C: Well, damn. It's really been a while, huh? :p**

**~Sasuke~: That's the biggest understatement of the year... -_-;**

**Naruto: Don't be mean to J-C! She might disappear for over a year again! D:  
**

**J-C: No, that wouldn't be the reason for me disappearing... . *glares at the writing blocks sitting in the corner* Eeeehhhh, I can only apologize so much for not updating for so long. A lot of things have changed for me over the year that I went AWOL on fanfic (and didn't say anything about... sorry, guys .), and I got caught up in a lot of real life stuff, and whenever I would try to sit down to write, I'd either be too lazy to think of anything or have a writer's block that I could write, at most, 2 sentences through. It was really bad, and I'm sorry for not informing you guys of this impromptu hiatus. But that's all in the past now! I've gotten my writing spark, and I'm going to do my best to have a proper updating schedule (as well as respond to any reviews I receive from here on out... again, sorry .).**

**~Sasuke~: All right, we don't have all night here . Hurry up and introduce the chapter that people have been waiting far too long for!**

**Naruto: Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it, do-!  
**

**J-C: OKAY, GEEZ! Alrighty, readers! It's been a long wait, but finally, HERE'S THE 23RD CHAPTER OF OHM! I really wanna say thank you to all of my dedicated readers for being so patient with me and for leaving such lovely reviews for my previous chapters! I appreciate every single one, and I will do my best to respond to all the reviews I receive from here on out! BRING OUT THE DISCLAIMER AND WARNINGS~! 8D**

**Disclaimer: I've been gone for a whole year! Know what I have to show for it? Not the rights to Kuroshitsuji, that's for sure! It still belongs to Yana Toboso! ^_^**

**Warnings: SEBAGRELL HINTS! Yes, this deserves it's own warning (I apologize, my SebaCiel fans) xDD Also, we've got LOADS of violence, some language, A HETERO PAIRING (WHAT IS THIS SORCERY?! O:), sexual situations/themes, AND A LEMON (wait worth it yet? ;D)**

**~Sasuke~: And FINALLY, after one whole year**-

**Naruto: HERE'S THE 23RD CHAPTER OF ONE HELL OF A MASTER!  
**

**J-C: Enjoy, everybody! ~^0^~**

* * *

**Chapter 23:**** The Graveyard**

**December 31****st****, 1888**

Ciel didn't even have to open his eyes to know that something was wrong.

Well, not necessarily wrong, but something was missing… something that had been present for the past two weeks during which Ciel had been drifting in and out of consciousness. It had been a distinct warmth, a distinct scent, a distinct **something**, and Ciel just couldn't place his finger on what exactly it was.

_Perhaps the fever has made me delusional… _Ciel thought, taking into account the fact that he had been sick for a while, so his sickness could've affected his thinking and his perception of reality in general. But really now, could a hallucination make Ciel imagine that there had been **something **by his side every minute of every day for the past two weeks that he had been severely ill with a Coryza, hypothermia, frostbite, and a fever?

Ciel certainly didn't think so.

Slowly cracking his eyes open, Ciel stared dazedly at the ceiling, marveling at how intricately it was designed. There were little ridges and bumps that came together to form the looping stems of roses and other flowers, as well as animals typically found in gardens, such as butterflies and ladybugs crawling or flying on the flowers and leaves. Ciel had never stopped to look at the ceiling with so much attention before; in his defense, whenever he was staring at it, it was either during heightened states of bliss or right before he would collapse into a dreamless sleep. His head weakly cocked to the side as he continued staring at the ceiling. The recovering child wasn't sure why he was suddenly so fascinated with the ceiling of all things, but he just couldn't stop staring at it. He finally stopped when his vision started blurring from not blinking for a while; sighing tiredly, he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, leaning back against the headboard for support. He silently cursed, hating feeling this weak after being bed-ridden for so long.

_I'm positive that the manor is in shambles… or at least partially burned in some areas from that damn flamethrower of Bard's. There's no way those bumbling idiots were able to keep up the manor's appearances without my constant reminders and scoldings. And if Sebastian's company hasn't gone under-_

Ciel's eyes suddenly widened as he inaudibly gasped.

Sebastian… that's what had been missing.

When he would sometimes come back to consciousness from his feverish state, Ciel would catch glimpses of his crimson-eyed master watching him closely. When he would open his mouth to silently say something to the older male, the demon would simply smile and shake his head, brushing back Ciel's sweat-dampened bangs and telling him to rest. The boy would exhaustedly follow his master's order, not having the strength to fight against him. Sometimes, he would hear a faint, muffled voice speaking to him; he could never understand exactly what was being said, but it always soothed his pounding head and aching body. At times, Ciel swore that a song was being sung to him. When he would have a hard time breathing, which would jerk him out of his sleep and throw him into a panic, a soft, warm pressure would be applied to his lips, and he would feel his lungs fill with air and fall back into his dreamless, healing sleep. Assuming he wasn't having hallucinations, the scent, warmth, and presence that had been by Ciel's side while he had been recovering had been Sebastian's.

He turned his head to the unoccupied side of his bed; his conclusion was confirmed when he saw the faint indent of an adult-sized head and body in the pillow and mattress. He sniffed, once, twice, a faint smile developing on his face as he recognized his master's unique scent: ink, musk, and lavender. Ciel slowly ran a shaky hand over the neatly-made side of the bed; his eyes widened even more when it was cold to the touch.

Sebastian had been gone for a while.

_Where is he now? Why would he suddenly disappear after being by my side for so long…?_

Ciel continued absentmindedly stroking the area where his master had been lying for the better part of two weeks, his mind going through all possible reasons as to why Sebastian would suddenly leave his side. _Why does it even matter if Sebastian's gone now? I've recovered… mostly. He probably realized that I wasn't going to die, so since the soul he's contracted to is safe, he felt that he didn't need to be near me anymore. _Ciel bit his chapped lip as his hand stilled, his eyes looking confused. _But… if I was so close to death… then why didn't he just kill me while I was weak and take my soul…?_

Suddenly, the boy was brought back to what Sebastian had whispered against his lips in the middle of that snowstorm. A faint blush colored the boy's colorless cheeks, making him look like a hand-painted and carefully crafted porcelain doll. To Ciel, it felt like ages since that pivotal moment had occurred between them; if the dark-haired teen was to be completely honest, it seemed like it had happened in a dream or even in another life.

_Could I really be the one thing in both of Sebastian's worlds that he cares about the most? He's lived for centuries… surely he has other, more long-lasting, things that he cares about. I'm just a servant… a sex pet that he's contracted to until the time of my death. Unless there is something else about me that he finds to be special... It can't just be my soul; he would've killed me a long time ago if he was just after that. It's asinine to think this… but it almost seems like… he's keeping something from me._

Ciel was brought out of his mental musings by the sound of his bedroom door quietly clicking open. Ciel smoothly moved his hand to rest in his lap as he turned to look at who was entering his room. A pair of concerned, red-colored eyes locked with his tired, dichromatic ones; he felt his heart drop for an unknown reason when it wasn't the red eyes of his master, but those belonging to Madam Red. The physician's concerned eyes quickly shifted to undisguised surprise at seeing the petite butler sitting up in his bed, fully conscious for the first time in days. The death god smiled with relief as she made her way over to the child.

"Ciel… It's certainly a surprise to see you awake after so long," she said softly as she sat on the stool set up beside the boy's bed. Ciel didn't say anything; he just continued to blankly stare at the immortal, his mind focused on why he felt so disappointed to have Madam Red sitting on that stool instead of Sebastian. _I surely don't want him beside me right now… I'm far too tired to deal with his perverted shenanigans. Besides, he would just tease me and insult the entire human race for being so easily weakened by sickness…_

"How are you feeling, Ciel?" Madam Red asked, jerking Ciel out of his train of thought. The dark-haired boy looked impassively at the woman for a moment before he shrugged.

"I feel fine," he mouthed, his face remaining emotionless. Madam Red smiled, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her chest. The entire time Ciel had been sick, the death god couldn't stop worrying about him, feeling as if the entire situation was her fault. She should've gone with Sebastian instead of blindly trusting the demon. She felt as if Sebastian had taken too much time; if they had arrived back at the manor just a few minutes earlier, Ciel would've healed much quicker since he still would've been conscious. Now, to have the object of her anxiety and worry sitting up and acting like his usual self made her feel the happiest she had felt in a while. She smiled softly at the emotionless boy, standing and moving the covers off of Ciel's body. Almost immediately, Ciel started shivering, and the doctor gave him an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, dear, but I need to examine you to see how your body is healing…" she explained. Ciel blinked before looking down at his own body for the first time in two weeks. His face paled as he realized he was stark naked in front of the death god; trying to be smooth about it but failing because of his embarrassment and shock, Ciel pulled the covers over his body, giving the noblewoman a glare that clearly said, "Move the covers, and I don't give a fuck if you're immortal: I will kill you." Madam Red looked surprised by the child's abrupt action before she rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, what is up with the males in this house being so concerned about being naked in my presence? I have an older brother, for God's sake! I've seen his genitals so many times that I should have a surgery to make myself blind. Besides, I've had to do checkups on you throughout your recovery, so I've already seen you naked, Ciel," she added before she took the sheets from the boy's grasp and exposed him to the cold air in the room. Ciel shivered again, wrapping his arms around himself and giving the noble another death glare, although it was slightly weakened from his confusion over her statement about the other males being concerned with being naked around her.

_Who else has she asked to be naked lately…?_

Ciel shook off the thought, not really wanting to scar his mind with images of Madam Red doing anything lewd with any of the males in the manor… or anyone in general. While Ciel tried to block such thoughts from his mind, the noble took advantage of his distracted state and started her checkup. The death god was pleased to find that Ciel's extremities, including his nose, ears, and lips, were no longer an ugly blue-black color. Still, she needed to make sure that they could move freely on their own to check for any possible internal damage.

"Ciel, wiggle your fingers and toes for me," she asked with a serious face; she immediately lost her composure at the boy's bewildered look and started laughing. Ciel could only stare blankly at the amused death god, who was nearly holding her sides from how hard she was laughing. When the redhead finally calmed down, she smiled gently at Ciel, who was completely lost at this point. "You suffered a highly severe case of frostbite; superficially, your body looks completely healed, but I need to know if you can freely move your extremities," she explained, her eyes alight with amusement.

Ciel looked warily at the noblewoman before he sighed and started wiggling his fingers and toes, feeling like an idiot as he did so. The death god looked relieved when she saw him move them, and she jotted down some quick notes on a sheet of paper. Madam Red continued her examination of the small teen, sometimes asking for him to move or bend his arms and legs in fairly normal but some odd positions. When she found no worrisome movements or ticks to worry about, she breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"Everything seems to be working just fine! Sebastian will be quite pleased to hear that his pet will be back to perfect health in no time," Madam Red said enthusiastically. Ciel's ears perked at the mention of his master, and thoughts of the demon's whereabouts popped into the child's head again. He didn't want to give away just how badly he wanted to know this information, so he did his best to act nonchalant as he reached for a piece of paper and the feather pen by his bedside and wrote down his question. The doctor looked up when she heard a paper rustle, and she almost jumped at how close the piece of paper was to her face. Ciel kept his face emotionless as the red-haired noble took the paper. Her eyes quickly scanned the boy's elegant writing before she frowned.

"He left a few hours ago, Ciel. He didn't bother to tell anyone where he was going," she looked put-out. "Even when my brother clung to his arm and begged him to tell him where he was going so suddenly, he just brushed him off and walked out. He looked a little troubled by something, almost guilty, but I didn't care to ask." She dryly chuckled before adding, "He probably wouldn't have told me what was on his mind anyway. Damn demon…" she muttered under her breath. Ciel frowned at the physician's response as he sat back against the headboard.

_A few hours ago, huh… That must mean he left sometime in the early morning hours. What could he have to do today that required him to leave his residence so early? He certainly wouldn't be completing some task for the Queen… He usually tells Tanaka about his departure and leaves in a carriage. Even if he was doing something for her Highness, he surely wouldn't look guilty about doing so. The same reasoning would apply to completing a hunting task for Satan, and even then, he would've been called by a portal at some point. Then what could it be that caused Sebastian to look guilty and to leave without telling anyone of his whereabouts?_

Madam Red, upon seeing the boy's frown, decided to put Ciel's worries at ease. "Not that there's anything to worry about, Ciel! I'm sure he just needed to take care of some personal business; he's always so secretive about his personal affairs. He'll be back before nightfall, I'm positive," she said hurriedly. Ciel looked at her with a quizzical facial expression for a bit before he returned to staring blankly at the wall in front of him. The death god frowned before she gently touched Ciel's shoulder; as expected, Ciel stiffened at the physical contact, and his dichromatic eyes turned to look at her, now with a guarded and standoffish look in them. She smiled anyway and gently pushed the petite boy back down onto the bed.

"Anyway, you need to stop focusing on him and start focusing on getting better, Ciel. You nearly died again from this latest stunt of yours, and it hasn't even been a month since the last time you almost died! Just rest now, alright?" she finished with a soft tone. Ciel stared up at her before he sighed, brushing off her hand and nodding. Madam Red looked pleased at the boy's obedience to her word; even when Ciel rolled over so that his back was facing her, she wasn't at all offended. The woman dressed in red stood up from her chair and placed a sweet kiss on the top of Ciel's head. She laughed a little when Ciel flinched from the contact and glared at her over his shoulder before pulling the sheets over his entire body.

"Rest well, Ciel. Knowing Sebastian and his recent behavior, he'll be back when you wake up," she reassured before exiting quickly and quietly. Ciel didn't peek out from the covers until he heard the immortal's heels fade away, and even then, he waited for a few more minutes to make sure she wasn't going to come back and sneak another kiss or something from him. He rolled down the covers so that his head and neck were exposed again, but he stayed facing away from the door. His tired eyes roamed over where his master had been laying beside him for the past two weeks; shakily, his hand reached out and gently stroked the area. His eyes started to fall closed as sleep called to him again. Ciel's hand stilled as he slipped into dreams' comforting grasp, but it stayed resting over where Sebastian's heart would've been if he had been lying beside the small boy.

_Come home soon, my lord…_

**XXX**

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SEBBY ISN'T HOME YET?! IT'S TWO-THIRTY IN THE MORNING!"

The sound of an overly flamboyant death god's screech is what jerked Ciel from his peaceful sleep. He silently groaned; the sound of Grell's "lovely" voice was certainly **not** on his list of things that he looked forward to hearing as soon as he came back to the real world. He rubbed his eyes, blinking owlishly as he tried to adjust to the now-dark room. Based on how dark it was and Grell's screech of rage, it must've been early in the morning. _I certainly slept the day away… It felt quite nice, to be honest. If only I could laze around in bed __**all**__ the time. Ah, that would be the life. Then again, Sebastian would surely throw a wrench in those plans and try to do something sexual to me while I was resting._ Ciel sighed as his dream of lazing around in bed for the rest of his life was shattered and slowly rolled over to look at his bedroom door. He could see light from a candelabrum under the crack of his door, meaning Tanaka must be outside as well. Sure enough, the small boy heard his teacher's voice softly respond to Grell's exclamation.

"That is even more reason for you to keep your voice down, Master Sutcliffe. Ciel is trying to rest. Now, there is no need for alarm; Master Michaelis should be home any moment now-"

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT BRAT!" Grell cut in, his voice reaching near-hysteric levels. "All I care about is my Sebastian and where he is! You said he was going to return 'any moment now' three hours ago! It's starting to snow!" Ciel's eyes widened at this new piece of information. He glanced over his shoulder out his window, and sure enough, he could see little flakes of snow swirling in the air. He ignored the worry that was starting to settle in the pit of his stomach and turned back to the door to listen to the rest of the conversation.

**WHACK!**

"Stop talking so loudly, Grell! I swear, if you wake up my patient-"

"I TOLD YOU I DON'T CARE-"

Sounds of choking and a valiant struggle could be heard, and Ciel sighed, wondering how such creatures could be in charge of determining who has the right to live and die. _I do hope there are more serious and capable death gods or else the entire human race is certainly doomed…_

"I can assure you both," Tanaka's voice calmly interjected, stopping the scuffle between the siblings, "Master Michaelis is perfectly fine. He always leaves the manor to attend to… personal matters once every year on the 31st of December. I am not sure exactly what it is he is doing or where he goes on this day, but I respect my master's privacy and freedom to do what he wishes for at least one day; you two should as well," the elderly butler finished. Ciel smirked, imagining Madam Red and Grell hanging their heads in shame at being lightly scolded by the mortal servant. His smirk faltered though as the worry in his stomach was replaced with a gnawing curiosity.

_Even Tanaka doesn't know where Sebastian is? That's certainly surprising… I thought he had gained Sebastian's full trust after working under him for 50 years. What could be so personal that even the trust they have between them isn't enough for Sebastian to tell Tanaka where he's going every year on December 31__st__? And what makes the last day of the year so special to Sebastian? As he's said himself, he doesn't have any friends, and he doesn't seem to have many attachments to other beings…_

Ciel's eyes widened as an interesting thought struck him, making him even more curious as to his master's whereabouts.

_What if this day has a special meaning in relation to his past life as a human? But he said that he didn't have any memories of his life as a human being… unless he was lying to me. It's certainly not rare for him to deceive me with his words and actions. But even if today has a reverent meaning to Sebastian, what could've possibly happened that is so important to him that he leaves every year for it?_

The sound of Tanaka clearing his throat jerked Ciel out of his mental thought processes, and his ears perked to listen to what the elderly butler had to say. "However, I cannot deny that this year, he is acting rather oddly. He has never been away from the manor for such a long period of t-"

"OH MY GOD, I KNEW IT! SOMETHING MUST'VE HAPPENED TO HIM! HE MUST BE DEAD!" Grell's voice, now hysterical, abruptly cut in. Ciel, even though he thought the death god was being overdramatic as always, couldn't stop his stomach from dropping at the thought of his master being hurt.

"Grell, you're being melodramatic… Sebastian is a full-grown demon. I'm sure he can take care of himself," Madam Red stated. Ciel's heart jumped as an anxious feeling enveloped him when he heard Grell's whispered response.

"What if he doesn't come back…? He has been acting so strange lately; he hasn't hit me as hard as he normally does to get rid of me, and he hasn't smirked for days! It's almost as if he isn't with us anymore!" Grell finished in a distressed tone. When neither Madam Red nor Tanaka responded, Ciel swallowed nervously, clutching the sheets beneath him.

_What's happened to my master since I've fallen ill…?_

When the silence outside of his door became too much for Ciel to take, the petite teen slowly sat up in his bed, looking around his room for something to cover himself a little more so that he wouldn't freeze from his bed to the door. Hanging in the corner of the room, Ciel could faintly make out what looked like a bathrobe; with a little more effort than it normally would take, Ciel stiffly scooted to the edge of his bed. He flinched when his bare feet met the cold wood, but he ignored the coldness and stood as straight as he could, feeling a tad weak since he was still recovering from his illnesses. He wobbly walked over to the corner, retrieving and donning the bathrobe with shaking hands.

_Why is this house so cold? Surely the other servants are freezing from this ridiculously cold temperature! I'm just going to make the wild assumption that the nobles feel it's beneath them to make fires, and the other three buffoons are too incompetent to make fires on their own. I'm sure Tanaka can make a fire; he was the one who taught me how to make one! Maybe he just felt it was useless to do so for someone who was as sick as I was and couldn't even feel the effects of it._

Ciel knew that his thoughts about how cold his room was were merely distractions; he couldn't bear to keep focusing on thoughts of his master possibly freezing to death in the winter night. He was already overcome with confusing emotions over what the demon had whispered against his lips in the middle of that storm. He really didn't need to add anxiety and worry into the mix of emotion. Wrapping the robe tightly around his small frame, Ciel fixed his face into its normal cool and composed mask and shakily walked towards the door to his room. He could faintly make out the three adults' hushed whispers, which explained why Ciel hadn't heard anything from outside of his door for the past minute. With a confidence he didn't really feel, the child butler threw open the door to his bedroom, startling the death gods and causing Tanaka to raise an intrigued eyebrow.

"I'll find him," Ciel mouthed, staring down the older trio with a look that dared any of them to go against his word. Madam Red was the first to do so, her shock being immediately replaced with a look of disapproval.

"Absolutely not, Ciel. You are in no condition to be going out tonight. I told you, Sebastian will be coming home, so just go back to bed and rest," she ordered in a no-nonsense tone. Ciel defiantly shook his head, standing a little straighter so that he wouldn't show any physical signs of weakness. The death god's eyes narrowed, and she opened her mouth to snap at the stubborn boy, but Grell's gasp cut her off. Ciel focused his attention on the male redhead, raising a quizzical eyebrow at the reaper's look. Grell looked as if he had seen a ghost: his skin was paler than usual, his eyes wide and filled with fear. Tanaka, also confused by Grell's facial expression, put a hand on the immortal's shoulder.

"Master Sutcliffe…?"

"It's… It's snowing… harder…" Grell shakily responded, his eyes looking like they were in a horrified trance as he continued to stare out the window. The anxiety that had been sitting in Ciel's stomach intensified tenfold at the death god's observation; he looked over his shoulder at the window in his bedroom and swallowed, trying to get rid of the worry and anxiety he felt when he saw the snowflakes whipping in the wind and falling at a faster rate. From firsthand experience, Ciel knew that snow was a deadly thing, especially at nighttime. If the snow picked up, Sebastian could possibly get lost and die in the middle of the storm. Just the image of the proud demon dying, lost and hopelessly alone, made Ciel's heart twist painfully. Not even bothering to look at the three adults for their approval, Ciel began to walk briskly down the hall, determined to find his master before the conditions outside worsened. A hand on his arm stopped the boy in his tracks, and Ciel whirled around to face Madam Red.

"What do you think you're doing, Ciel?! You are still recovering from not only your hypothermia, frostbite, and severe Coryza, but also from the attack of that female demon. Your blood levels have still not returned to normal since then, meaning you will freeze at a faster rate if you go outside," she explained hurriedly, worry for the small child in her grasp expressed through her crimson eyes. When she could see that her words were having no effect on Ciel, she exclaimed with exasperation, "Besides, you don't even know where to look for him! It's a lost cause! Just stay inside… please, Ciel."

Ciel was a little taken aback by the plea thrown in at the end of Madam Red's speech, but he had already made up his mind. There was no way that he was going to let his master run off and possibly die tonight; there were so many questions he needed to ask the demon.

_That bastard is not going to go and run off without offering me an explanation for his recent behavior or his apparent feelings towards me. I need to know… I just… I __**have**__ to know._

"I will find him; I can track his mental presence, just like he tracks mine whenever we are separated," Ciel mouthed, his body language showing how impatient he was. _I figure that if Sebastian can do that, in theory, I should be able to as well. I've never had to do this before, but now would be as good a time as any to at least try and see what happens._

"Let him go," Grell spoke softly, so softly that both Ciel and Madam Red could barely recognize the male death god's distinct tone. The noblewoman whirled around, still holding tightly onto Ciel, her eyes wide and blazing.

"What?! Are you crazy, Grell?! I know you hate Ciel, but to ask for him to do something so dangerous and stupid is too cruel, even for you," she spat the last bit, not even sure if the redhead in front of her was her brother anymore. Ciel was speechless. The dark-haired teen had expected for the immortal to screech and go into rage, saying that **he **would be the one to find "his" darling Sebastian, not "the slut of the manor." Curious, Ciel calmed himself down a bit, wondering why the death god was having such a sudden attitude change.

Grell's lime-green eyes locked with his sister's; his gaze was steady, but his voice remained soft, a slight shake to it as he explained himself. "Sister, I do hate Ciel. I hate him more than I hate anything in this world. If I could be the one to kill him, I would do so without a hint of hesitation or regret…" The flamboyant male's fists clenched by his side as he continued, no longer looking at Madam Red, but at the ground. "But… right now, what's important is to find Sebastian. He may be able to take care of himself, and he may want his privacy, but I can't just sit back and wait for him to possibly… to possibly never come back. And… I also know that I can't be the one to find him." Slowly, the softly-speaking death god looked up and right into Ciel's eyes; half-heartedly, he smiled, but the heartbreak was clear in his eyes as he continued.

"I love Sebastian. I've loved him since the moment those cold, dead, beautiful eyes of his first looked into mine. The moment he looked at me… **truly** looked, I knew that I would do anything for him. I knew that if I could, I would bear as many children as he wanted; I would die for him. I'm aware of how he feels towards me; even though he doesn't wish to marry or even really associate himself with me, I'll stay by his side for all eternity. When he beats, insults, or even yells at me… nothing makes me happier. It means that he's willing to show his true colors to me. He's able to take out his frustration and anger. In a way, it makes me feel like he needs me. But when you showed up, he changed. He wasn't so angry… he didn't look so cold to the world; hell, he even started being nicer to me, something that would only occur in a few social settings where his presence was mandatory. I noticed these changes, and I couldn't help but watch as he became even more unobtainable; I couldn't help but start to hate you as you pushed him away. He gave you things that I only dreamt of, things that I would never be able to have, and all you did was scorn, scoff, or get angry at him. You continued to unthinkingly do things to him, and I could only watch as the being I loved more than my own self continued to change for or because of you. When you fell ill from this latest stunt of yours… Sebastian… he reverted back to who he was when I first met him on that fateful day. It hurt more than anything. I didn't realize how much he had changed until he went back… and I realized, even though I hate to admit it, that he needs you.

"He can take out his anger on me, but in the end, it's **you** he truly needs. He needs you so that he doesn't lose himself… so that he doesn't turn back into… into that monster. While you were sick, Sebastian cut himself off from the world; only when he was taking care of you did I see glimpses of the demon he was becoming because of your influence. As I watched him through the crack in the door, looking down at you with tenderness and heartbreaking anxiety, sometimes even gently kissing your lips and whispering for you to get better, I… I wanted him to stay in that room for as long as he needed if it made him feel better. Today, though, even when he was in the room with you… there was no change. Something is really bothering him, and I'm so afraid… I'm afraid that I'm going to lose Sebastian forever. I don't… I can't lose him. He's my reason for existence, the reason for why I am who I am today. But… even though I want nothing more than to be the one to find him… I know that right now, he doesn't need me. Who he needs is you. You must be the one to find him, to bring him back, not only to the manor, but to himself. I never wanted to ask you for anything, Ciel, but… please… please find Sebastian… please… bring him home…" Grell finished, unshed tears making his eyes shine.

The hall was completely silent except for the redhead male's occasional sniffs as he did his best not to break down in tears in front of Ciel. It was already humiliating enough to admit all of that to his enemy, but Grell was desperate. True to his word, he was willing to do anything for Sebastian. Ciel, who was curious before, was stunned now. Madam Red had a sad smile fixed on her face, knowing how hard that had been for her brother to say. Tanaka, who had not spoken in some time, cleared his throat.

"Ciel… you cannot go out searching for Master Michaelis with just a bathrobe. At least put on the proper winter attire," he stated. Madam Red opened her mouth to object, but the elderly butler cut her off. "Madam Red, I realize you are worried for Ciel, but you cannot change his wishes. He wishes to find Master Michaelis, right, Ciel?" the old human asked, looking deep into Ciel's eyes. Ciel blinked, surprised by some of the emotion he was able to see in the elderly servant's eyes: worry, sadness, and fear. The petite child stood a little straighter, nodding confidently, before he removed his arm from Madam Red's grasp and walked hurriedly down the hall, determined now more than ever to find his missing master.

**XXX**

_Sebastian…_

Ciel could clearly see his breath fog in front of his mouth as he breathed harshly, feeling like he had been running through the snow for days when it couldn't have been more than a couple of hours at most.

_Sebastian… Sebastian…_

The snow was clinging to Ciel's eyelashes and his rosy cheeks; he blinked rapidly so that his vision wasn't obstructed by the white bits of ice that were starting to slow the longer Ciel continued to run.

_Sebastian… where are you…?_

His poorly-clad feet (he only had time to put on his regular work shoes) pounded on the compact and frozen ground beneath him, pain shooting sharply through his system with each footfall.

_Sebastian!_

His uncovered head was starting to pound from the cold air that was constantly hitting it, but he refused to allow his headache to distract him from searching for his master's mental presence.

_Where are you?!_

Ciel's heart was beating so fast that he felt as if it was going to burst out of his chest at any minute; even though it was working overtime, Ciel was still having trouble maintaining body heat.

_Master…_

Ciel opened his mouth out of habit to call for his master, but before he could even (futilely) attempt to say anything, he gasped loudly as his foot slipped on a patch of ice. Losing his balance, the petite boy fell to the side and tumbled down a hill. He landed face-first at the bottom of the hill with an "oomph". He laid there shivering for a bit before he slowly raised his head, huffing with frustration. Although his body was tired and cold, Ciel forced himself to stand up. He leaned against a tree, panting a little bit, as his body begged for him to rest. He furiously wiped off the snow that was still clinging to his face from the fall, blinking rapidly to clear his eyes so that he could better see his surroundings. The child butler could clearly see where he had fallen down the hill; there was a huge indent and several bumps from where his body had crashed through the snow. He mentally groaned when he saw just how far he had fallen.

_There's no way I can climb back up that hill… It would be way too hard even if the ground was completely dry; it's so steep…_

Ciel bit his lip, frustrated, tired, and now possibly lost. The petite boy wanted nothing more than to call it quits and collapse in the snow, but he was too prideful to admit defeat. Not only that, he had made a silent promise to Grell and everyone else in the manor to find Sebastian; there was no way he was going to go back on his word. Sighing tiredly, Ciel looked away from the hill and at the rest of his surroundings. He was still in the woods, but it seemed as if this was an area that was not as well-traveled as the rest of the Michaelis grounds. The ground was less flat; there were more rocks, and it appeared as if any path that could've been formed was thoroughly covered by the snow.

Ciel looked to his right and blinked. In the distance, it appeared as if there was an iron gate or entranceway, but at this point, Ciel wasn't sure if the cold was making him hallucinate or not. He slowly moved away from the tree, as if in a trance, and trudged through the snow, heading toward the entranceway. Ciel had one hand over his heart as he continued to walk, feeling as if something was physically tugging on it and pulling him toward the object in the distance. He was relieved to find that his mind wasn't playing tricks on him when he was close enough to touch the iron gate. Ciel winced when his hand came in contact with the cold metal, and he immediately retracted it, rubbing his hands together to try and make them a little warmer. He craned his neck upwards as he looked at the intricately designed entrance; his uncovered eye widened when he saw that there was fancy writing at the top. It read:

**Beware all ye who enter here.**

Ciel immediately scoffed at the cliché warning, not even feeling a hint of fear or hesitation, only curiosity. There must've been a reason his heart led him to this place. _Maybe I'll be able to find Sebastian here… _Ciel went through the entranceway, his eyes widening when he realized that he was standing in a private graveyard. There weren't that many headstones, maybe five or six at most. The child butler got down on his knees in front of the headstone closest to the entrance, carefully wiping away the snow that was covering the words etched into the grave marker. As expected, there was an unknown person's name, some Mariska bat Elisaveta (1); what caught Ciel's attention, however, was the date of birth and death: 1311-1326. Ciel's eyes widened as he remembered that conversation he and Sebastian had had in the hotel room during the Jack the Ripper case.

_Sebastian lived during the 1300s… Is there some way that Sebastian may have known these people? Hm… that doesn't seem too likely; especially since he claims he doesn't remember anything about his past life as a human. This woman might be an outlier here… perhaps the other graves are from different times…_

Brimming with curiosity, Ciel wiped off the snow on the adjacent grave marker, blinking at the name, Eli ben Rafael (2), and the date of birth and death: 1308-1352. Feeling his heart thrum with excitement for an unknown reason, the child servant crawled over to the grave next to Eli's and furiously wiped off the snow.

Sebastian ben Eli, 1324-1349.

Ciel's eyes widened to comic proportions as he felt himself freeze in place from shock. His hands shook where they rested over the engraved person's… no… could this be his master's grave? Thoughts racing widely in his head, Ciel fell onto his bottom in the snow, just staring blankly at Sebastian's grave; of course, there could've been a possibility that Ciel was wrong, that this was another Sebastian who was completely unrelated to his master.

"I see you have wandered a little off course, my pet…" a dark voice murmured from above. Ciel tore his gaze away from the grave, his eyes still wide as he looked into the face of his master, who was standing over the boy and the three graves. The shocked servant could only keep staring at Sebastian, who cocked his head to the side. "How strange… For centuries, no one has ever been able to find me here, and yet, here you are. How could that be?" When Ciel didn't respond, Sebastian straightened himself out and went around the graves to stand beside his butler. The immortal chuckled when he realized exactly why Ciel was so shocked.

"If you've deduced that the three graves in front of you belong to my parents and me, you truly are a bright child," he remarked, looking faintly amused. Ciel was finally brought out of his shocked state of mind by the tone of Sebastian's voice. For some reason, the tone didn't seem to fit the words that had been said. Ciel figured that if he was the one who was talking about his dead parents, he wouldn't be amused or cold about it. But what disturbed him more than the tone relating to Sebastian's parents was the fact that there was a grave for the demon that was currently standing next to him. Shakily getting to his feet, Ciel looked coolly up at his master.

'_Why do you have a grave for yourself, Master?_' Ciel asked.'_Surely a Semihominis doesn't need to do something so ridiculous as to replenish his spirit or retain his physical appearance by visiting his place of death once every year,_' Ciel said, relying on some of the supernatural books he had read in his free time to come up with a theory for Sebastian's odd behavior. The demon smirked, his eyes alight with amusement at his servant's theory.

"No, Ciel, I don't need to do something as ridiculous as that. I merely made that grave as a symbol of my death as a human being. It was more for a sense of sentimentality that drove me to do such a thing both for myself and for the humans that must've been my parents," Sebastian responded, looking over the three graves for only a second before looking back at Ciel. Ciel blinked, the wording confusing him a bit.

'_Must've been…? Are you saying that you aren't sure if the people who are resting in the grave beside your symbolic one are your parents?'_

Sebastian shrugged, his face and demeanor showing that he didn't really care too much about it. "Well, when I heard news that the man, Eli, died, I felt a strong emotion that I attributed to sadness and dug up his grave, burying him here. When I heard he had a wife, I figured that she must've been important to me as well, and I found her grave, dug it up, and buried her beside him. It was all based on speculation, really, and it's something that doesn't concern me too much. Besides, it's not as if these two humans are the reason I come to this place every year… I'm sure that's something that you are much more curious about. Am I wrong, my pet?" Sebastian asked with a dry smirk. The immortal male figured that if Ciel was able to find the one place that he had been sure to keep a secret from everyone, even Tanaka, it was only fair that the human knew the truth about why he was there.

Ciel was completely taken aback by his master's behavior, but he couldn't deny that the demon was right about his curiosity. His mouth set in a thin line, the boy didn't respond to his master's question, waiting somewhat impatiently for Sebastian to make the next move. Sebastian's smirk slowly fell as he regarded his pet for a moment before he sighed and beckoned for the boy to follow him. Ciel trudged after his demon master, doing his best to look completely nonchalant and uninterested in the matter; of course, Sebastian could easily see through his pet's façade, but he decided not to tease the boy about it. The raven-haired male led Ciel toward the back of the small graveyard, the only sound between the two companions being the sound of snow crunching under their feet. Ciel couldn't help but to notice that his master wasn't adequately dressed for the weather. Besides the large overcoat that Sebastian always wore whenever he traveled, the immortal was dressed in his regular attire. The child butler opened his mouth to say something, but he immediately closed it when his master came to an abrupt stop.

Ciel moved to stand beside the demon, looking over the two graves they were standing in front of. Deciding not to make any rash conclusions, he waited for his master to speak, not sure how these two graves in front of them were more important than Sebastian's own parents'. For a few minutes, Sebastian didn't say anything. The demon and human just stood silently in front of the two graves, the snow lightly falling around them. Ciel looked at his master out of the corner of his eye, having to take a double-take at the expression of slight sadness on Sebastian's face.

[_He's sad? Sebastian has never looked like that before! What could these two graves possibly mean to him that's making him act like this…?_]

Sebastian took a deep breath, closing his eyes and tilting his head back to the sky; when he reopened them and looked back at the graves, his face was back to its normal expression of cool indifference. He gestured to the graves in front of them, his tone as cool as his facial expression. "These graves belong to the two people who meant the most to me in my human life. They are also the last things I remember… on the night that I died 513 years ago," he started emotionlessly.

Ciel's eyes widened in shock as his head whipped to look at the two graves. His heart was beating fast with anticipation; he was finally going to find out about his master's past, something he had been wondering about for many months. It took all of his willpower not to rush the demon into an explanation, but he kept quiet, knowing that sharing a secret as important as **this** must be taking a lot out of the older male. Sebastian inhaled deeply, the only sign that this was a difficult thing for him to retell, and began to speak.

**FLASHBACK**

_It was December 31__st__, 1349, and it was the day that Sebastian was going to propose to his long-time lover, Anastasia Whitaker. The young dark-haired man, with eyes a dark chocolate-brown, could barely contain his excitement as he exited his home and made his way through the expansive fields of grass that he and his father, Eli, would hopefully be toiling over in the spring when wheat and other crops would be planted. With a sparkle in his eyes and a kick in his step, the anxious and excited 25-year-old rushed through the fields, intent on meeting his lover in their secret spot at the riverbank, under the stone bridge. He hadn't been this excited in quite a while, considering that so many people were suffering and dying around him every day from the Great Plague (2). It was horrifying to have to go into town and see piles of bodies on carts, the ones loading the carts looking as if they would be joining the pile at any moment. As if the Great Plague could read his mind, the sound of a heavily-laden cart reached his ears, and Sebastian paused in his happy travels to watch as the cart headed to where the rest of the peasants lived, bodies stacked carelessly on top of the cart. He watched with bated breath before releasing a sigh of relief when the cart bypassed his humble home of thatch for another's. The smell of death and fear always made Sebastian feel sick; he couldn't bear to think of his father or Anastasia one day being loaded onto one of those carts. Before that morbid train of thought went any further, Sebastian focused on his current goal: proposing to Anastasia._

_What Sebastian was attempting was dangerous; he, as a Jewish male (in secret, of course. No one but his family, lover, and best friend knew of his religion (3)), was about to ask for a Christian girl's hand in marriage. If anyone were to know, he would surely be killed; but as thoughts of his beautiful lover filled his mind, he found that he didn't give a damn: her beautiful chestnut-brown hair that hung below her waist, her cherry-red lips that were always upturned in some sort of a smile, her creamy skin that was soft to the touch and flushed just right during times of intimacy (these times were rare and never went too far; Sebastian could never think of soiling such perfection before marriage), her cute little pointed nose that crinkled whenever she would laugh, and her eyes. Oh, her eyes: like the most exquisite of honeys, they were twin pools of happiness, innocence, and beauty. At some times, if the light was shining just right on his lover, Anastasia's eyes would take on a golden hue. While others may have thought it was strange for someone to have gold eyes, Sebastian found that he enjoyed her eyes the most in that light; it gave her beauty an exotic and mysterious touch._

_Just the thoughts centered around Anastasia made his heart flutter and his feet move even faster in anticipation for what he was about to do. No fears or threats could stop Sebastian now. He was young, he was in love, and dammit, he was going to get married. He had everything he would need to satisfy both his Jewish faith and the common practice of marriage in England. Carefully making his way down the gently sloped hill, Sebastian adjusted the straw hat on his head and felt in one of the many folds of his tunic to be sure that both the perutah and the Ketubah were safe and secure (4). He had read the Talmud countless times to ensure that this marriage, although it wasn't permitted since he, a Jew, was planning to marry Anastasia, a non-Jew, was still considered valid and that the children he was hoping to have with her would not be mamzerims (5)._

_When he reached the bottom of the hill, he stepped carefully on the marshy ground close to the riverbanks. He had heard countless stories about villagers and drunken fools that had slipped to their deaths from not being cautious. Since hardly anyone could swim, this area of the village was hardly visited, if ever. This made for the perfect spot for Sebastian and Anastasia to meet each other. There was little to no chance of someone ever coming by and seeing them; even if someone was walking along the hill, Sebastian and his love were still hidden from sight by the bridge. The only way anyone would know they were there was if they went to the edge of the river; the chances of __**that **__happening were slim to none._

_Sebastian smiled to himself as he carefully made his way to the bridge. He had been dreaming of this day for so long; now that it was actually happening, he could hardly wait for sundown. Right before sunset was usually when he and Anastasia would meet each other; it was difficult to meet during the day because Sebastian was working in the fields. Night was not possible because of Anastasia's parents; night was also the time when Sebastian and his father would practice their religion in secret._

_His heart fluttering, the raven-haired male reached into the fold of his tunic and felt for his items again; he knew they hadn't fallen out, but it offered him confidence and security to feel them there. As he neared the bridge, Sebastian braced himself; the area right before the passage under the bridge was the most dangerous part. Gripping tightly onto the stone, the young Jewish male carefully edged himself under the bridge; he had to duck a little since he was quite tall, even for someone of his gender and age. Only when he was safely under the bridge did he finally let go of the edge._

_Sebastian rested against the stone wall of the bridge, releasing a breath that he didn't realize he had been holding. He couldn't deny that he was frightened; he was about to put his heart on the line for Anastasia. Thoughts about what he would do if she said no to his proposal filled his head, only adding on to the youth's already frazzled nerves. He swallowed and forced himself to calm down, pulling out the perutah in his tunic fold and turning it over and over again in his hand as he gazed out at the sky, willing for the sun to set faster so that he could finally ask his bashert the question he had been waiting to ask since his birth (6)._

_**Nightfall**_

_It had never been this hard for Sebastian to hold back his tears._

_Ever._

_The heartbroken boy stared up at the full moon, wondering why Anastasia hadn't come to meet him under the bridge. Since they had started arranging these secret meetings a few years ago, she had never missed a single one. Sebastian had even went out of his way in the letter he sent to her telling her that he wished to see her again, that the reason for this meeting was very important to him. Sebastian stared at the copper coin in the palm of his hand with forlorn eyes before he sighed. There was no point moping around in such a dangerous area; he was already tempted to throw himself into the river that continued to peacefully run a few inches away from his feet._

_All the excitement and hope he held in his heart when he went under the bridge a few hours ago was replaced with disappointment and heartbreak as he stepped out from the bridge. He nearly stumbled back into the water when he suddenly came face to face with a pair of blood-red - no, now they were black - eyes._

_Sebastian cried out as his foot slipped on the squishy ground underneath his feet. A strong hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him away from the dangerous area and higher up on the hill. Sebastian lost his balance from the strong tug and ended up falling face-first onto the grass, getting a mouthful of grass and dirt. A jovial laugh filled the night air, scaring some birds that had been nesting in the grass a few feet away. Sebastian growled, not in the mood to hear laughter or any other sounds relating to happiness. His head popped up from the ground, and he spit out the grass and dirt, wiping his mouth and shooting daggers at his best friend, Michael Bennett._

_A striking lad of 26 years, Michael Bennett was the exact opposite of Sebastian ben Eli (aka Sebastian Godfrey by the rest of the community to avoid suspicion about his religious heritage). Michael had short, golden blond hair that never wanted to remain flat and sun-kissed skin from his days of working out in the fields. He was tall and quite muscular for his age; he wore tunics that showed off his muscular arms and had no problem bearing all before being shooed to the back of his home to bathe. He had a light smattering of freckles across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, and his face was more rounded and boyish, giving people the impression that he was far more innocent than he actually was. He was outgoing and always had a smile on his face that caused nearly every lady that it was directed at to swoon. But the most mesmerizing thing about Michael were his eyes; Sebastian wasn't even sure what color his best friend's eyes were because the color constantly changed depending on the way the light hit them. Right now, the moonlight wasn't shining on them, so they appeared to be a coal-black._

"_Michael…" Sebastian hissed as a warning, the dark aura surrounding him signaling to the blond male that he wasn't in the mood for his jokes. Michael wasn't the least bit bothered by the black-haired youth's glare or tone, wrapping his arm around Sebastian's neck and pulling him close, ruffling his friend's hair and laughing even more._

"_Aw, lighten up, Sebastian! This isn't how I imagined my best friend to act after getting engaged to the love of his life… Where's that winning smile and those sparkly-looking eyes that come out whenever you talk about Anastasia?" Michael asked with a bright smile. Sebastian had told him about his plan to ask for Anastasia's hand in marriage a few days ago while they were walking into town to try and sell some of their crops to the merchants who were still alive and willing to trade; he, of course, had been ecstatic to hear that his shy best friend finally had the courage to ask the love of his life to marry him. He couldn't have been happier for Sebastian, wanting nothing more than for the chronically depressed boy to be happy._

_Sebastian attempted to wrestle his way out of his friend's iron-grip, but the more he struggled, the clearer it became that Michael wasn't going to release him until he answered his question. Practically shouting in his friend's face, Sebastian finally responded, "I didn't ask her because she didn't show up tonight!" The second he felt his friend's grip around his neck slack, he moved out of Michael's hold and rubbed his neck, looking away from him. He __**really**__ wasn't in the mood for the onslaught of questions he expected for the blond male to ask; all he wanted to do now was go home, read some of the Torah and pray with his father, and drag himself to his room and go to sleep, doing everything in his power to forget this horrible day._

"_Oh… I'm sorry to hear that, Sebastian," Michael said after a bit. Sebastian blinked, not expecting for the chatty boy to say something so… simple. He made a scoffing sound and looked up at the night sky, still not in the mood to say anything. By nature, Sebastian wasn't the type of person who liked to openly share his feelings; still, Michael was probably the only person who, for the most part, could easily tell how Sebastian felt and what he would've said if he was more open. The blond lightly jabbed the depressed black-haired youth in the ribs, saying with a bright smile, "Well, I guess you'll just have to wait until your next meeting to ask her then, yeah?"_

_Sebastian's head jerked in his best friend's direction, his mouth forming a small 'o' as he stared blankly at Michael. The thought that he just had to wait until the next time he saw Anastasia to ask for her to marry him hadn't even crossed his mind. Michael laughed loudly at Sebastian's facial expression, wrapping an arm around his thin shoulders and pulling him close to his side. "I bet you didn't even consider that as an option, right? You're such an extremist, Sebastian! It's either it is or it isn't… I thought I told you to stop living in such a black and white world!" Michael said, looking down at Sebastian with a kind smile. Sebastian looked down at the ground, embarrassed by his extreme thoughts._

_**I almost killed myself, too… I really am hopeless when it comes to interpreting things that happen around me or dealing with my emotions.**_

"_Well, I can't help but to feel disappointed… I've been waiting for so long…" Sebastian mumbled under his breath, still looking down at the ground. Michael blinked at his friend's statement before he snickered, looking up at the night sky. "I never imagined that you would be the impatient type… Chin up, Sebastian! Just wait a couple more days, and you'll finally have the love of your life tied to your side for the rest of your life," Michael responded, trying to improve his friend's mood. For a minute, Sebastian looked as if he hadn't heard what Michael said, and the blond opened his mouth to continue in his efforts when Sebastian suddenly looked up at him with a small smile._

"_You're right, Michael… I can wait a few more days for her. I would wait a lifetime and more if I had to." His dark chocolate-brown eyes softened as he thought about his lover for a moment before he locked eyes with Michael, whose eyes were now a light violet. "Thank you… I don't know what I would do without you to help me see in shades of gray."_

_Michael suddenly looked embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck as he laughed, looking away from Sebastian. "Yeah, you would've been dead without me around, that's for sure!" he declared before laughing again. Sebastian chuckled at the true statement before removing Michael's arm from around his shoulders and standing._

"_Well, I should probably head home now. My father is probably worried s-"_

"_Come into town with me, Sebastian! You're going to be engaged soon; you have to celebrate with me, your best friend. And I will not accept a 'no' for an answer," Michael suddenly announced, standing and grabbing Sebastian's hand. He started pulling Sebastian up the hill and in the direction of the town, a determined look on his boyish face. Sebastian opened his mouth to protest, but he just sighed and acquiesced to his friend's impulsive desire, knowing that he wouldn't hear the end of Michael's whining and protests if he went against his wishes._

_**XXX**_

_When they finally entered town, which was silent except for the occasional groans of pain from certain homes that had been hit by the Great Plague, the moon was high in the night sky, telling Sebastian that it was far too late for him to be out. "Michael, I really should be home now… my father is probably worried sick-!"_

"_I can't hear you, Sebastian~!" Michael cut in with a sing-song tone. "Oh, look! We're in town now! Time to celebrate!" he shouted with excitement, dragging Sebastian in the direction of a tavern. Sebastian rolled his eyes, finding this whole idea of "celebrating" his almost-engagement by going to a bar as a waste of his time. He couldn't even drink enough to where he got drunk, so it was clear that Michael was merely using Sebastian's marriage plans as an excuse to get drunk (6)._

"_GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA H!"_

_An ear-piercing scream suddenly filled the night air, stopping Michael and Sebastian dead in their tracks. Sebastian's keen hearing pinpointed that the sound was coming from the alleyway a few buildings down. Michael's grip on Sebastian's hand tightened before he suddenly pulled him in the opposite direction. The smile that was on his face had disappeared, being replaced with a deep frown._

"_You need to go home, Sebastian. Your father is surely worried ab-…"_

"_Michael! Someone needs help! You can't expect for me to just-!"_

"_I certainly can expect for you to do nothing! Besides, judging by that scream, it's too late for that person anyw-!"_

"_How can you possibly say that, Michael?! Have you no hear-?!"_

"_I have a heart, but I also have a brain, which is telling me that it's not safe to go back! That person has probably been hit by the Great Plague!"_

"_Well, I have two arms that can shove you away and two legs that can walk me back to-"_

"_Sebastian!" Michael suddenly yelled, turning around and gripping tightly onto Sebastian's shoulders, staring intensely at him with maroon eyes. "Please… just go home. I'll handle whatever it is, but your father would never forgive me if something happened to you…"_

_Sebastian would've protested, not one to like being told what to do, but he noticed that Michael's hands were shaking on his shoulders, and there was clear worry and even fear in his friend's eyes. Sebastian sighed, not wanting to cause any unnecessary trouble for Michael. He nodded and brushed off Michael's hands. "Alright, but I can walk myself home. I don't need for you to do such a thing-"_

"_Sebastian~…"_

_A soft, alluring, and feminine voice carried along by the wind drifted into Sebastian's ears. The human's ears perked at the sound; not only did it sound familiar, it also sounded… tempting. It was as if the voice had verbally converted all of Sebastian's desires into one simple tone; he just couldn't resist that voice that had called his name in such a way. Sebastian swallowed, his gaze turning toward the source of the sound: the alleyway where the scream had just emitted from less than a minute ago. Slowly, he brushed Michael's hands off his shoulders, his body seeming to have a mind of its own as he walked toward the alley. His mind was screaming at him to run away, realizing the danger of going towards this voice._

_Still…_

_The young Jewish male found himself standing at the mouth of the alley, squinting his eyes to see into the dark alley. He could faintly hear footsteps running after him and a desperate voice insisting that he go home immediately, but again, that voice called to him, drowning out all other sound and making everything else in the world seem so insignificant in comparison._

"_Sebastian, my love… You've finally come for me…" the sweet voice cooed. A lily-white hand suddenly extended from the darkness, the unknown person's fingers inviting Sebastian to step farther into the alley. The dark-haired youth felt his hand twitch a little before it rose; gently, he took the stranger's hand, his eyes widening at how smooth and warm the hand felt. Sebastian was slowly pulled into the alleyway; he didn't care to look at his surroundings. His only focus was on the owner of that sweet voice, whose giggles sounded like the warbles of a baby bird._

_His eyes did eventually adjust to the darkness, and once they finally stopped walking back into the alley, he turned the person around to finally figure out the identity of the owner of the sensuous voice._

_His jaw nearly hit the floor as he stared into the face of his beautiful lover, Anastasia Whitaker. His breath actually hitched as he could only stare in shock and amazement, not understanding what his true love could possibly be doing in this dangerous place. Worry for his lover taking over anything else, he suddenly pulled the young woman into his arms, burying his face in her chestnut-brown hair and inhaling deeply, his senses assaulted with her lovely, unique scent… and a hint of something else, but Sebastian brushed that off as the smell of the surrounding air._

"_Anastasia, my love, what are you doing here?! This place is not safe for you! The Great Plague could come for you tonight!" he hurriedly said, pulling away from her and looking over her with concern, praying to God that nothing horrendous had happened to her physically and that she hadn't seen anything that could possibly disturb her mentally. When he determined that she was not harmed, he felt his heart start to beat faster just from being in his love's presence, and he found himself swallowing nervously as he looked at her lovely face. Sebastian stared into her beautiful honey-colored eyes, falling into a trance-like state that seemed to happen to him every time he looked into her eyes. His hand gently cupped her pale face as he did his best to smile comfortingly to her, his thumb stroking her cheek and over her soft, cherry-red lips._

"_Everything will be all right, Anastasia. I'll escort you home and slip away before your parents see me, and then we can meet tomorrow in our special spot," he managed to gasp out, practically breathless and having trouble keeping his composure, his love for her making him both anxious and giddy. "Oh, Anastasia, I have something very important to ask you and-" His hurried talk was abruptly cut short as his thumb brushed over something that was __**definitely **__not part of his beautiful love's lips._

_Blood._

_His heart loudly thumped as his eyes widened; it was if the blood had jolted him out of his love-stricken world so that he could finally __**see **__both his surroundings and his lover in a clearer light._

_His hand shook against Anastasia's cheek as his thumb trailed down the thin stream of blood that was coming from the corner of the young lady's mouth. He swallowed as his eyes moved away from her lips to take in the rest of her once-unblemished face, which now had blood splattered all over; the red substance was on her cheeks, her forehead, her jaw… the blood was everywhere. His eyes trailed down her body and widened in horror when he saw that her left arm, all the way down to her dainty hand, was drenched in blood. There was so much of it that the material of Anastasia's long-sleeved dress was stuck firmly to her skin and her lily-white skin couldn't even be seen; some of the blood was still dripping off the ends of her fingers and falling into a pool of what he hoped was water… __**anything **__but blood._

_And it was then, when Sebastian's eyes locked on the puddle of blood, that his focus completely moved away from his lover and to his surroundings. His shock-filled orbs noticed that there was a river of red that branched away from where it was pooling underneath Anastasia's hand, leading farther back into the dark alleyway. Barely able to breathe at this point, the black-haired male's eyes involuntarily followed the trail._

_There, in the back of the alley, sitting propped up against the wall, was what Sebastian assumed was a human being at one point. Where eyes would once be safely nestled away were now twin black holes of darkness, with bloody tears pouring from them and running down the victim's cheeks until it dripped off the ends of the person's top row of teeth. No longer was there a lower half to this human's face. The entire jaw had been torn from its hinges, the skin bloody and torn to shreds from where it hung from the victim's face, the tongue flopping uselessly against the person's neck. The limbs were a tangled, broken mess, bones and muscle fibers poking out through holes in the ashen skin. The victim had been scalped as well, a large, bloody clump of hair and skin lying uselessly beside the body. And finally, where there once was a heart, was now nothing. A bloody, misshapen hole and shattered bone remnants were all that remained in that hole, and somewhere in the back of Sebastian's mind, he wondered where the heart could've possibly gone._

_His eyes darted around the suddenly much-too-small-space, his heart thumping loudly as raw panic mixed with confusion. Blood was splattered all over the walls, the smell of it and the dead body being carried along by the wind that was starting to slightly pick up. Clouds were starting to gather in the night sky, but Sebastian paid no attention to them. A sudden flash of lightning illuminated the area, and Sebastian felt his blood run cold when he saw Anastasia __**smile**_**. **_She smiled with pure glee and a hint of raw insanity, her eyes glowing gold for a second. Her perfect white teeth were now bloody and pointed, and bits of tissue could be seen in the cracks between her teeth. Even when the light from the lightning bolt faded away and the faint rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance, the possessed young woman's smile only continued to spread to inhuman proportions. Sebastian's hands, which were now resting on Anastasia's shoulders, shook violently as he broke out in a cold sweat, horrified by their surroundings and the sight of his crazed lover. His mouth was as dry as a field during a drought as he shakily opened his mouth to speak._

"_Anastasia… what is-?"_

"_Sebastian~," the woman finally spoke, immediately shutting Sebastian up. Her clean hand moved to cup the Jewish male's face, her head cocking to the side as her smile receded to more human proportions. "You love me, don't you~? You would do __**anything **__for me, yes?" she asked in a sickeningly sweet voice, her fingers lightly dancing across Sebastian's jaw._

_Sebastian swallowed thickly, his tongue feeling like it swelled to unreal proportions as he continued to stare at the love of his life; he was confused, distressed, horrified… and yet, he found himself slowly nodding, entranced like he always was whenever he was in Anastasia's presence. The blood-covered woman's eyes practically danced with glee as her fingers brushed over Sebastian's lips, closely followed by her own as she leaned up to whisper against them._

"_Then… Kill your best friend. I know that __**you **__wouldn't tell the other villagers about what you've seen here, but there's nothing stopping __**him **__from doing so." She pulled back a little to lock eyes with Sebastian, practically pouting as she added, "You can do this much for me, can't you…? After all, you gave me this ring as a sign of your love for me when we were children, and I would hate to think that this ring is just a worthless piece of metal…" she trailed off as her blood-covered fingers lightly traced over the ring that was resting on the ring finger on her right hand; the blue stone in the center of the ring that Sebastian had received from his mother and gave to Anastasia as a birthday gift eerily caught the moon's last rays of light before the alley was shrouded in darkness, the clouds rolling in faster as the storm continued to approach._

_The dark-haired male was completely frozen, all mental functions ceasing to work. Kill his best friend? Kill Michael? The thought was inconceivable, unbelievable, preposterous… and yet, he actually found himself considering it! The thought was immediately crushed as Sebastian was reminded of the Sixth Commandment: Thou shalt not kill (7). Just the thought of one of the laws that governed the young male's life was enough to jerk him out of his shocked trance._

_**What am I thinking?! Of course I can't kill Michael, no matter the reasons!**_

_Sebastian's grip tightened on Anastasia's shoulders, convinced she was possessed by some sort of demon. His Anastasia would never talk like this, behave like this… like… like a cold-blooded murderer! The very thought that the woman he wanted to be his wife was the sole cause of all of this made his stomach turn and his head spin._

"_Anastasia, darling, what has gotten into you?! You are not acting like yourself!"_

"_That's where you're wrong, Sebastian. In fact, this is the first time she's shown her __**true **__self to you," Michael's cold voice cut in. Sebastian turned his head to face his best friend, shocked when he saw the light-haired male holding an impressive dagger in his hand, his coal-black eyes trained on Anastasia. Anastasia's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the dagger before she placed her hands on Sebastian's wrists, intent on having him pay attention to her again._

"_You see, Sebastian? If you do not kill him first, he'll kill me! Could you live knowing that Michael killed the love of your life when you had the chance to prevent my-"_

"_Hush, you vile woman! Enough of your brainwash," Michael harshly cut her off, walking toward the confused human and the lying woman. The sound of Michael's approach was the only sound that filled the night air, time itself seeming to stand still as Sebastian's eyes shifted to look at the weapon in his best friend's hand. On the handle of the dagger, there appeared to be two intertwining roses. The dark-haired male tore his eyes away from the dagger when he heard Anastasia's frightened whimper._

"_Enough of this, Michael! You're frightening her!"_

"_Oh please, Sebastian, she's obviously acting. Something like __**her **__doesn't know the meaning of being frightened," Michael responded, pausing a few feet in front of Sebastian. His body language was tense, hinting that he would be able to move at the drop of a hat if need be. Sebastian shivered when he heard Anastasia laugh eerily._

"_Oh, Michael, you speak as if you're better than me when you yourself long to have such a meal like this!" she said with a hint of glee before she smirked confidently, continuing, "And the use of that dagger in this situation would only get __**you **__in trouble, dear Hunter. I haven't eaten in many days, so I am no way feeding unnecessarily, and if anything, my killings have been adding onto the chaos that the Great Plague has caused!" Her eyes darkened as she snarled, "So back off!"_

_Sebastian felt like he was going to be sick. To think that Anastasia… lovely, sweet, Anastasia, could've done something like this… He whirled on his lover, his grip on her shoulders tightening, his eyes desperate, "Anastasia, stop speaking like this! Surely you have no idea what's going on here! And Michael, put that damn dagger away this instant! You both are not acting in your right minds… I would hate to think that the Great Plague has-"_

_The sound of twin laughs filling the air, one humorless, the other hysterically gleeful, caused shivers to go down the human's spine as a flash of lightning followed by a deafening rumble of thunder illuminated the alley once again. This time, when the light from the lightning faded, the glow from both Anastasia and Michael's slit eyes were the sole sources of light in the blood-filled space. Sebastian's eyes widened in horror at the sight, his hands falling from Anastasia's shoulders as he took a shaky step away from her, his mind reeling with all that was happening in such a short span of time. Anastasia flipped some of her hair over her shoulder as she licked her lips._

"_Something as lowly as a pestilence could never fell a Pure-blooded demon like myself," she responded, an air of pride and arrogance surrounding her. Michael's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on the dagger._

"_You still call yourself a Pure-blood after you have started feasting on souls as well? You're both betraying your true nature and feeding unnecessarily by doing such a thing. Not only that, Anastasia Purus (8)," Michael paused as a smirk slowly spread on his face, his glowing eyes constantly shifting in color as he moved closer, "You attempted to murder one of Satan's hunters… I do believe you have broken three supernatural laws; therefore, Anastasia Purus, you are to be exterminated for betraying your demon nature, feeding unnecessarily, and attempting to murder a Hunter."_

_By this point, Sebastian had backed himself up against the alley wall, not even sure who, if anyone, he should trust right now. It was apparent to him now that both his best friend and the love of his life were not human; the fact that they were __**demons **__was causing his heart to race with fear and repulsion. He couldn't believe that he had been unknowingly associating himself with such vile creatures. Sebastian was so focused on his hateful and confused thoughts and feelings that he didn't notice Anastasia moving to stand in front of him until she was practically in his face. The human gasped with surprise, backing himself against the wall as his eyes widened._

"_Anastasia…"_

"_Well, if I'm going to be killed anyway, I might as well feast one last time, hm~?" she said teasingly, her golden eyes glowing madly as they locked with Sebastian's, freezing him in place. Sebastian's eyes pleaded with this woman, his heart still foolishly believing that her love for him would stop her._

_He was horribly wrong._

"_SEBASTIAN!"_

_**CRUNCH!**_

_Sebastian's eyes widened in horror as fresh blood spattered on his face, his face turning as white as a sheet as he looked down to see a bloody hand extending out from the back of his best friend, who had jumped in the way to prevent Anastasia from taking the human's heart. Loud, hacking coughs filled the air as thunder rumbled, Sebastian's eyes tearing themselves away from the hand that was greedily clutching onto the still-beating muscle, blood dripping down onto the alley floor. Sebastian's mouth opened and closed several times, words seeming to escape him as he could only stare in shock at his friend, who was __**smiling **__at him over his shoulder, his eyes showing his genuine happiness even as blood trailed from the corners of his lips._

"_M-Michael…"_

"_Ah, Sebas… Sebastian… Thank goodness… you're safe…" Michael managed to say between his coughs, tears of pain leaking out from his eyes that were no longer glowing. An annoyed 'tch' sound caused Sebastian to focus on Anastasia, who looked less than pleased that her meal had been taken from her._

"_Damn you, Michael… You're such a fool!" With a sickening squelching sound, the female demon pulled the other demon's heart right out of his chest, allowing for the body to collapse onto the ground. "Why would you give your life for a worthless human like him?! Your love for him is sickening; and thanks to it, now I'm doomed to the same fate as you!" Sebastian watched, frozen, as the woman who had appeared to be an angel to him kicked at the nearly-dead body at her feet. The sound of the repetitive impact drummed at Sebastian's ears until he thought he was going to go insane. He just couldn't believe it; Michael… his best friend… The human's vision became blurry before a strangled sound escaped his lips. Pushing at the woman, he fell to his knees, pulling Michael's body into his arms, frantically brushing back Michael's blond hair to look into the demon's lifeless eyes._

"_Michael! Y-You can't…!" Sebastian gasped out, grief clutching at his heart as tears poured down his cheeks. The human squeezed his eyes shut, cursing himself for crying like this, but the feel of a cold hand on his cheek caused his eyes to snap open. He sniffled as he watched Michael faintly smile, his eyes looking content. Sebastian released a shuddering breath as he grasped tightly onto his best friend's hand, gently knocking their foreheads together and shakily returning the small smile, watching as the life drained out of the demon's eyes. Michael's hand slipped out of Sebastian's grasp, and the mourning human could only watch as the knife held in his friend's other hand fell to the alley ground with a loud clacking sound. Sebastian's body shook with the force of his sobs as he continued to gaze down at Michael's face. Shakily, he put a hand over the other male's eyes and closed them for him as he gently set him on the alley floor._

"_Michael never was the brightest demon. If he thinks I would want a heart like his over yours, he's sadly mistaken… It was such a waste," Anastasia commented coldly, her actions contradicting her words as she started devouring the organ she held in her hand. Sebastian's body stiffened as he listened to the sickening sounds of the monster behind him eating the other demon's… no, his __**best friend's **__heart. His smile turned into a frown as he felt rage overshadow his grief. This woman… this __**demon**__, had the nerve to speak so crassly about Michael! Sebastian saw red as he grabbed for Michael's dagger, whirling on the beast behind him with a wild cry and murder in his eyes, stabbing her dead in the stomach with as much strength as he could, intent on killing this damn bitch. Anastasia blanched at the unexpected motion before she roared with rage, grabbing for Sebastian's neck and raising him in the air before slamming him back down onto the ground, a sickening crack filling the air as the impact of hitting the stone ground broke Sebastian's back in several places, leaving him paralyzed. His eyes widened when he realized that, only able to watch as Anastasia's bloody lips spread in a cruel smile._

"_Only a fool with a soul like yours would attempt such a stupid thing," she hissed, wrenching the useless dagger out of her torso and tossing it near Michael's body. Her grip tightened around Sebastian's neck, choking the poor human. Anastasia's head suddenly whipped to the side as a sound that only she could hear traveled to her ears. Snarling, she whirled on Sebastian, leaning close to him and smiling cruelly again. "Well, darling, it was certainly fun. You kept me greatly entertained with your continuous attempts to woo me, and I had fun playing your human game called "love". But you see, a creature like me doesn't need something as useless as that. But since you were such an entertaining player, I'll treat you extra special and take your soul instead of your heart~," she finished with glee before sealing their lips in a deadly kiss._

_The pain that Sebastian felt at that moment was something he wouldn't wish on even his worst enemy._

_A burning sensation that began from where his lips were connected to his former love's raced through his body, suddenly intensifying to feel like the burning fires of Hell; he felt as if he was being burned from the inside out. His eyes widened as the demon swallowed his pain-filled screams, his body starting to spasm and jerk violently as his hands clawed violently at the ground until they bled. Tears leaked from his unseeing eyes as he swore that his insides were on fire. Suddenly, his mind was flooded with memories and every emotion known to man; he saw things he didn't wish to see and felt things he didn't want to feel at speeds that made him physically sick. He felt like he was going crazy; he couldn't even pray to God for some release from all this pain and agony, the words for these prayers lost to him as his mind turned against him and continued to barrage him with memory after memory after memory._

_For a few blissful seconds, there was absolutely nothing… no burning, no memories, no feelings… just emptiness._

_And then, he felt a tugging at his chest._

_Sebastian's eyes snapped open as his mouth was forced open by Anastasia's tongue, her eyes glowing with greed as the human felt as if he was vomiting up a horse. She continued to inhale, slowly pulling out the human's soul from his body. Sebastian felt darkness prick at the corner of his eyes as the large mass of something was pulled from his chest and forced to travel up his throat. He could swear that this mass was actually fighting back, doing its best to not be eaten, but the strength of Anastasia's magic easily overpowered it and continued to suck it out. Sebastian could feel pieces of himself disappearing as the first bits of his soul were eaten by Anastasia; emotions like happiness and love were the first to disappear, memories of his childhood quickly following. His knowledge of farming, the passages from the Torah… gone. The warmth of sunshine was replaced with the cold of winter air, love replaced with hate, friendship replaced with loneliness, family replaced with solitude, smiles replaced with frowns. Every holy and positive thought and feeling was replaced with unholy and negative thoughts and feelings, breaking Sebastian's heart. Tears of loss and sorrow slid down his cheeks as the monster above him continued to suck out the very essence of his being; Sebastian could feel his body's functions starting to slow, his muscles becoming lax and his vision starting to fade. He welcomed this darkness, just wanting for this slow torture to end. He couldn't bear to part with his memories, his sense of self, and yet, it was cruelly being taken from him anyway, temporarily being replaced with dark and hateful thoughts and feelings._

_Suddenly, it all came to a stop._

_And then, the real pain began._

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HH!" Sebastian's scream of sheer agony rang out in the night as his eyes widened immensely; his scream easily dwarfed the sound of Anastasia's when a group of hunters who had taken her away from Sebastian as she was feeding literally tore her limb from limb with their weapons. Sebastian barely focused on that gory sight as his body, now, with only half a soul, began to change._

_The dark magic that Anastasia had temporarily inserted into Sebastian's body to help remove his soul from his body was now trapped inside. The evil immediately went for what was left of Sebastian's soul, needing to stain everything in black and darkness. His human soul was practically devoured by the magic, the core of his entity swirling chaotically around as it started to mix and meld with Anastasia's magic, the light his soul once gave off shifting to that of swirling shadows. As this change was happening internally, Sebastian could feel strange and highly painful things happening to his body; each transformation felt like it took an eternity for it to take place, the pain only increasing with each change. Sebastian could faintly hear the murmuring of an unknown person's voice as he was taking a breath to release his next earth-shattering scream. The response sent chills down his broken spine._

"_Leave him be. He won't survive the change."_

_The pain he experienced was incomparable even to burning for all eternity in Hell._

_First, the feeling of millions of rusted nails continuously scratching and moving under his skin traveled throughout his whole body, making him want to tear off his skin. It was both painful and irritating at the same time, and Sebastian thought he was going to go crazy from just the feeling. Then, his eyesight failed him as he was blinded, shrouded in darkness and still feeling the unnatural feel of nails scratching under his skin. To add onto the pain, his blinded eyes widened as his senses were suddenly assaulted with both the light and heat from fire, centered in his tender eyeballs; he tried to squeeze them shut, but his eyes cruelly remained open, his tears drying as his eyes continued to burn, the tears being replaced with blood. To add onto the symphony of pain, every strand of Sebastian's hair felt as if it was being meticulously plucked from his scalp, his scalp feeling as if it had been repeatedly rubbed against an unfinished wooden table, leaving splinters in the tender skin._

_Suddenly, the sound of every bone in his body breaking and collapsing onto his frantically churning organs added onto Sebastian's screams, temporarily choking the changing man as his lungs were crushed under the weight of his broken ribs. And just as easily as the bones broke, they suddenly fixed themselves… over and over. This process continuously happened for what felt like hours; each break hurt more than the last, his bones slowly becoming stronger every time they were magically healed. His muscles stretched, tender fibers being ripped to shreds at the rapid pace that they were changing, only to sew themselves back together, stronger than they were before. The black shadows from his changing soul suddenly rushed out from every crevice in his body, Sebastian screaming once again as he felt a burning cold sensation around every organ in his body, the magic working to freeze his internal organs in place exactly as they are now so that they will never age._

_His gums bled and added to the blood that was covering his face and body as his teeth, specifically his canines, tore themselves from his mouth only to grow again at a rapid pace; the feeling of a rusted file began slowly filing away at the newly grown bits of bone, making the rest of his teeth perfect while his canines became fangs, growing longer and looking more deadly with each break and file. Every nail on both his fingers and toes was slowly peeled off; the bloody tips of his nail-less fingers and toes were slowly covered with new nails. These were pure black, a perfect match to his stormy black soul._

_All of these changes happened at once, sending Sebastian's mind into a pain-filled frenzy, one thought certain throughout the process._

_**I'm dying.**_

_Shadows rose from the ground surrounding the agonized body as the final changes were being made. These shadows, which acted like living creatures, slowly began to wrap themselves around Sebastian's body, whispering frenzied and evil things that raced straight to his vulnerable soul. Sebastian could feel the icy cold of the shadows as they grew closer to covering his face. His eyes, which still smoldered, looked up at the night sky for the last time as a human, tears slipping from the corners of them to mix with the blood._

_And then, the shadows completely covered his body in a makeshift cocoon as the shift from mortal to immortal, pure to tainted, was made._

_When the shadows finally disbanded, what lay in the blood-covered alley was no longer a human being. Alabaster skin without a single blemish, facial features that looked as if they were carved by the world's greatest sculptor, bones stronger than that of stone, muscles able to lift and carry weights thousands of times heavier than his own, nails as black as night, hair like the silk produced from silk worms and as black as midnight, canines as sharp as knives, a soul tainted as if it came straight from the depths of Hell…_

_Eyes as red as the blood spilled that night, which now gazed blankly up at the sky as rain began to fall on this motionless creature, doing its sole purpose: washing away the old and bringing in the new._

_What now lay in this alley was certainly no human… that being had been washed away; it was the old._

_The rain continued to pour down on the new…_

_The rain brought in the demon._

**END OF FLASHBACK**

Sebastian's carmine eyes slowly opened as he focused on the graves in front of him; the one on the left holding the mangled and dismembered body of his lover, the one on the right holding the heartless body of his best friend… the one who had protected him at the cost of his life.

_And for what? I'm sure he did not wish for me to be cursed with this fate… Eternity… an eternity of darkness, suffering… loneliness…_

"Once I recovered from the shock of such a drastic change, I changed my last name to Michaelis, feeling that I owed him **something **for what he did for me, even if it may not have gone according to plan. Besides, if I had a piece of the woman who I had loved up to my last moment as a human, which was foolish considering the monster that she truly was, inside of me for all eternity, he certainly deserved to have a piece of him with me as well," Sebastian said coolly, his eyes flitting to the demon's name etched in the headstone.

Ciel was silent as he watched his master put his hands in his pockets and tilt his head toward the night sky, his blood-red eyes closing again as snow lightly fell on his pale face. A humorless smirk spread on the immortal's face, his eyes remaining closed as he spoke again.

"Then again, I'm sure neither of them wish for pieces of themselves to be a part of the foolish creature who ended their lives. Perhaps it was my last bit of human sentimentality that made me gather up their bodies after my change and bury them here. It's foolish to think that a hole in the ground will ever truly give these creatures rest. Such evil has no place… no **right **to rest…" He chuckled as his eyes opened, his focus back on the graves in front of him, removing one hand from his pocket to brush off some snow that had started building on top of Anastasia's gravestone. "And yet, here I am, every year for the past 539 years, coming to pay my respects to the one who betrayed me and the other who died for me." His smirk widened as a flicker of pain appeared in his eyes before it was hidden. "'How foolish', you're probably thinking. And you are correct in thinking so, my pet, for why would the one who murdered the two most important people in his past life keep coming back, hoping despite the cold truth, that they have found rest? That they, somewhere in that cold hole in the ground, have found it in themselves to forgive the foolish human who killed them?" Sebastian finished with an odd hint of amusement, chuckling again as he shook his head.

Ciel was, again, silent, but not because he didn't have anything to say. In fact, the human butler had a lot to say to his demon master, but he was too shocked by how his master was referring to himself at the moment to get the words out. The boy swallowed, shakily opening his mouth before closing it, internally beating himself for continuing to forget that he could no longer talk.

Silently, Ciel reached out and gently took Sebastian's hand in his own, his own gaze focused on the two graves that held the secret of Sebastian's past life and his change into the demon he was today. Sebastian actually jerked a little, confused when he felt something wrap around his hand; looking down, his eyes widened slightly when he saw Ciel's little hand wrapped securely around his motionless one. Looking at the child butler, he opened his mouth to say something, but what Ciel said next shocked **him **into silence.

"Ci-"

'_It's not your fault. It never has been and it never will be, my lord.'_

Sebastian's eyes widened to comic proportions as he looked at his butler with shock. He had never considered the idea that it wasn't his fault; granted, he never told anyone about this, so he never heard any differing opinions. To finally hear the opposite of what he had been telling himself for 539 years was both a surprise and a huge relief.

'_Their deaths would've happened eventually, Master. Although that's harsh to say, it is, in fact, the truth. Anastasia's feeding habits were starting to get out of control, what with her taking souls in addition to eating people's hearts. It was only a matter of time before she broke another rule, sealing her fate with the Hunters. As for Michael, he was a Hunter, my lord. It was to be expected that he would be killed on one of his hunts sometime in the future; again, it was only a matter of time._

'_Now, there are several times when I sincerely __**wish **__that you would take the blame for your actions. In fact, there are so many times I wish you would take responsibility for your actions that I can't even count them on both mine and your two hands.' _Ciel gave a pointed glare in his master's direction, their eyes locking for a few precious seconds, one pair amazed, the other sincere. Ciel eventually broke their eye contact, a light pink blush now staining his cheeks as he turned to look at the graves again, his heart starting to race as he continued.

'_But now is not a time for you to be blaming yourself. Master… I can't stand seeing you like this. Seeing you speak with such difficulty, looking so guilty… looking like you're in pain… it's… it's just not right to me. You are... important enough to me that it's unsettling to see you this way…' _Ciel's hand shook a little in Sebastian's as he finally admitted that secret to the much older man, terrified of his feelings and embarrassed that he was telling Sebastian all of this at this very moment. But there was no going back now; he knew that Sebastian needed to hear this, even if it only made him feel a little better.

'_And for that reason, I think I can understand your feelings regarding what happened to you 539 years ago. I would not wish to witness the death of someone important to me; if you were to die in front of me, I would surely blame myself as well…' _ Ciel bit his lip as his grip tightened on Sebastian's hand. '_But I, for one, see nothing foolish about wishing for your most important people to finally find rest. Even if they were demons, you cared for them, my lord. They were the people who made you smile, who made your days brighter, who made __**you **__feel at peace. I would think it would only be natural to wish for them to find that same peace. I wouldn't think of myself as a fool if I were to visit your grave with those hopes, no matter how meaningless they would be in reality. Master, how you feel about these demons doesn't make you a fool; it makes you someone who cares. Perhaps it was your human sentimentality that made you bury them here, but it should be your love for them that keeps you coming back every year, not guilt and shame that you shouldn't even be feeling. I'm sure that Michael wouldn't want for you to feel this way about him, my lord. If he truly did die with a smile on his face, then he died with happiness, not with anger. Anastasia… well, she's a bit more difficult to interpret, but I feel that if she really wanted to kill you, she would've just taken your heart. She knew the Hunters were drawing nearer every second, but she took up the last of her time to take your soul; perhaps, in her own way, this was how she showed her love for you… by giving you an immortal life while she lost her own._

_I know it must've been hard to lose them… to lose your humanity… all in one night. And that's why I'm saying this now, my lord: I'm here for you. I may not be enough, but maybe… over time, you'll come to trust me… to believe in me._

_If thinking about them ever becomes too hard for you, my lord, or if you ever feel like everything is falling apart around you, I will be by your side. You are an important person to me, my lord. So … don't hurt yourself like this anymore. Don't think such thoughts about yourself… Don't physically hurt yourself… Don't just vanish without telling me where you're going… Don't… Don't leave me alone like that ever again. It wasn't your fault, my lord. So, forgive yourself. If you can't do that for yourself, then… do it for me…_'

Silence.

For a few moments, all sound was muted around the pair as the demon could only stand with shock and the human silently died of embarrassment. Two different species stood together in the silence, the snow continuing to fall around and on them. A connection had been forged now with the words Ciel had just told his master, and the evidence of that connection was physically represented as the two males continued to hold hands.

But then the connection was broken as the demon pulled his hand from Ciel's grip, the boy's heart sinking at the action…

… only for the connection to become stronger than ever as Sebastian pulled Ciel into his arms, actually lifting him a little off of the ground and holding him as tight as he could without harming the boy. Ciel gasped loudly, his eyes widening at the unexpected physical contact before his blush darkened, his heart racing as he clutched tightly onto his master's arms to keep from falling, his feet dangling a little above the snow-covered ground. The child butler was in complete shock, not expecting for his master to embrace him like this; confused, Ciel opened his mouth to voice a question, but the feeling of Sebastian burying his face in the junction of Ciel's neck and shoulder caused him to close his mouth.

The servant's confusion increased when he felt the demon's warm breath ghost over his chilled skin, causing him to shiver. When he heard his master chuckle, Ciel attempted to look at Sebastian's face, wondering if the demon had gone mad with grief.

"How is it possible that words coming from a mere child of 13 years can mean so much to someone as old as I am? How can it be that you know me more than myself, that you understand my words even when I don't say anything at all?" Sebastian paused to chuckle again, his grip tightening even more on Ciel as he whispered against the boy's skin, "How is it that you can convince me to let go and forgive myself after 539 years of self-hatred? For **centuries** I have despised myself, cursed myself for every second of every day that I'm alive… and yet, tonight…" Sebastian gently set Ciel back down on the ground, but his arms remained around the boy's waist as his eyes locked with Ciel's. His eyes were soft as one hand migrated to Ciel's cheek, his thumb gently caressing the cold skin.

"Tonight, I've never been happier to be alive…"

Slowly, Sebastian leaned down; his now half-lidded eyes were locked with Ciel's the entire time as he gave the boy the chance to back away from him, to prevent their lips from meeting. Ciel could feel the supernatural being's breath on his lips, and they trembled with fear? passion? disgust? **something **as Sebastian continued to draw nearer. But instead of moving away or physically rebuffing the older male, Ciel relaxed in his master's hold, and when their lips **finally **met for the first time in weeks, Ciel and Sebastian's eyes slowly fell closed as the child butler felt something akin to content in his heart. Shakily, his small hands gripped onto the front of his master's coat as their lips slowly reacquainted themselves, the kiss slow and gentle, just like the snow falling around them. Somewhere in the back of Ciel's mind, he wondered if this display of affection was disrespectful to Sebastian's former lover, but another part of him found that he didn't give a damn.

The pair continued to kiss in the snow, their surroundings completely unimportant to them at that moment as they lost themselves to each other, Sebastian's hold tightening on his butler as he deepened the kiss. The blush on Ciel's cheeks was now as red as a cherry as they gently kissed each other. The snow continued to fall as they pulled away at times for air only to reconnect again, each kiss becoming more and more passionate to the point where Ciel's clothes were ruffled, Sebastian's hair was a mess, their lips were red and swollen, their breaths were quick and ragged, and their bodies were so close that they might as well be one. Even though Ciel's eyes were closed, he could feel something building in them, and when Sebastian pulled away from him to allow for him to breathe, Ciel's eyes slowly fluttered open, shimmering with unshed tears. The heartbreakingly beautiful sight took Sebastian's breath away, and he found himself frozen for a moment as he continued to take in his butler's beauty.

It was at this moment that Sebastian felt the need to say **something**, something that he had been waiting to say for years. He could feel the words on the tip of his tongue, his own heart beating just a little faster at the thought of saying these words, but as he continued to stare into Ciel's eyes, at Ciel's face, he could only say one thing.

"Ciel…"

**XXX**

Moonlight shone in the master bedroom of the Michaelis manor, bathing the otherwise dark room in its ethereal glow. The moon's beams shone on the wardrobe, the bedside table, and they even stretched so far as to illuminate the door leading into the connecting bathroom.

It was under the moon's light that two figures were moving as one on the master's bed, their wet skin from the bath they had stumbled out of in their hurry to touch, to feel, to have **more**, catching the moon's glow. Sebastian pulled away from the steamy kiss to allow for his trembling butler to breathe, drops of water from the ends of his wet hair dripping onto his servant's flushed cheeks. Ciel lay gasping underneath the older male, trying to catch his breath and calm his racing heart. Everything was happening so fast that the poor teen wasn't even sure which way was up anymore.

'_Master! At least wait for me to dry us off! Your sheets are practically drenched and you yourself could fall ill…'_

Sebastian cut off Ciel's mini-rant with a chuckle, his eyes shimmering in the moonlight as he gazed fondly down at his butler. "And here I thought my kisses and touches would be enough to distract you from such frivolous concerns…"

'_Frivolous?! Illness is not-'_

Ciel's mind went blank when Sebastian kissed him again, his heart racing once again when his master managed to slip his tongue past Ciel's lips. Ciel's hands gripped tightly onto Sebastian's shoulders as the demon greedily explored Ciel's hot cavern, the boy attempting to keep up with his master by tangling their tongues together. The child butler was pressed harder down onto the bed as the kiss continued, the wet sounds filling the air and causing Ciel's blush to spread all the way to the tips of his ears.

Sebastian observed all of this with intense eyes, priding himself on being able to reduce Ciel to an incoherent, flustered, and trembling mess every single time. "So lovely…" he muttered under his breath as he leaned down to plant hot, open-mouthed kisses down the column of Ciel's neck. Ciel's breath hitched as his leg jerked on the bed, looking at Sebastian with slight confusion.

'_What did you just say?'_

"It's unimportant… Stop concerning yourself with unnecessary things…" Sebastian murmured as he sharply bit down on the junction between Ciel's neck and shoulder. The young teen gasped loudly, his grip tightening on the sheets below as Sebastian started to gently suck on the sensitive area.

'_But-!'_

"That's an order~," Sebastian added teasingly, smirking against Ciel's flushed skin as the blue-haired boy glared down at him. Huffing with displeasure, Ciel forced himself to stop picking at every little thing Sebastian did and said, mostly due to the fact that his prickling contract eye was both annoying and bothersome. But also because the child butler couldn't help himself; to think that they, a master and servant, a human and a demon, a contractor and contracted, were about to make love with each other again…

…it was enough to make him want to cry.

[_Why do we continue to do this to ourselves? Why do we establish rules, build up walls, only to break those rules and watch the walls crumble around us? Are we fools? Are we mad? How can it be that in a little more than half a year, he has become my most important person? We are only hurting ourselves every time we do this… with every kiss we share, every gasp that breaks the silence, every light touch on feverish skin… we are only making it harder for us on the day we have to say goodbye…_]

Ciel's breath caught in his throat when he felt Sebastian's sinful lips start to kiss a trail down his abdomen, his back arching as the demon's cool hands slowly ran down his sides, causing goosebumps. The boy's eyes fluttered before his body quaked with silent laughter from Sebastian's light nips around his belly button. The demon smirked at seeing Ciel squirm from his ministrations, saying in a teasing voice, "Ticklish, my pet~?"

Ciel managed to control himself long enough to make his mouth stop twitching into a smile, huffing again and pushing at Sebastian's head. '_For someone who was so eager to do… this… you certainly know how to waste time…' _Sebastian's carmine eyes practically glowed with amusement, locking with Ciel's and causing the boy's cheeks to heat up even more.

[_But… I don't want to say goodbye…_]

Ciel's eyes widened behind his wet bangs as his master moved down past his belly button. Lazily, his master traced the v of Ciel's hips with his tongue, never breaking eye contact with Ciel, even as he got closer to the teen's hardening member. Ciel wanted nothing more than to squeeze his eyes shut, truly mortified by both Sebastian's actions and his bodily reactions, but he found that he couldn't look away from the demon's lustful eyes. Swallowing with nervousness, the child butler was about to send a mental message to his master when all thought processes suddenly ceased as his master slowly licked up the side of his member.

The boy's hips bucked up in surprise before he quickly sat up, causing Sebastian to have to move away from Ciel's now-leaking member. Face to face, the two males sat, one looking embarrassed and panicked, the other surprised yet faintly amused. The air around them seemed to tremble with as much anticipation as what was building between the two males. A slight rustle of sheets indicated movement, and shockingly, it was Ciel who moved first. Very slowly, he leaned closer to Sebastian, his eyes already starting to fall closed before they even got within a few centimeters of their destination. The demon leaned forward as well, and their lips met once again in a shockingly chaste kiss.

Ciel's shaking increased as he slowly pulled away from the kiss, his eyes hesitantly locking with Sebastian's before he leaned forward again. This time, he kissed the hollow of Sebastian's neck, the demon raising his eyebrow in curiosity at his pet's actions.

"Ci-"

'_Madam Red told me that you remained by my side for the past two weeks. I feel it's only right if I… service you tonight,_' Ciel responded curtly, his actions sharply contrasting with his mental tone as he hesitantly kissed his way down Sebastian's bare chest, his lips wet from the dampness of Sebastian's skin and the wet kisses they had been sharing. Sebastian, understanding what Ciel was proposing, moved to lean back on his hands, watching his servant with intense eyes as Ciel got into a comfortable position.

Swallowing nervously, the child butler tucked some damp strands of hair behind his ears before he slowly swirled his tongue around the tip of Sebastian's prominent length, which twitched in response to the ministration it hadn't felt in quite some time. Ciel flinched, a little thrown-off by the unexpected movement, before he steeled himself.

[_Come now, Ciel! You've done this before! Just… damn it! Just stop thinking for once, and just do it!_]

Listening to his more impulsive side, Ciel stopped overthinking his actions and wrapped one hand around the base of Sebastian's member, starting to pump from the base to the tip. He knew Sebastian liked that, but he couldn't resist looking up at his master's face to take in his reaction. As expected, the demon's eyes were lidded, his mouth slightly open to release nearly inaudible pants. Ciel's eyes locked on Sebastian's somewhat visible fangs, a thrill of excitement running through him.

[_He's so dangerous… and yet, I'm completely unafraid of what physical damage he could do to me._]

Ciel found himself boldly engulfing Sebastian's member, going down as far as he could without gagging on it before he went back up, gently sucking just to drive his master mad. A low growl came from his demon master, and Ciel smirked as he released his master's member with a 'popping' sound. His eyes had a challenging glint in them as he repeated his ministrations, loving that he was in control and could tease his master instead of it being the other way around.

Sebastian, meanwhile, was practically going mad from his pet's actions.

_He's certainly gotten cocky_, Sebastian thought as he ran a hand through his hair, using up centuries of patience to prevent himself from pinning Ciel down on the bed and taking him right then and there with absolutely no preparation. One of his fangs bit into his lip, a trail of blood making its way down his chin. The demon's eyes widened slightly when Ciel quickly leaned up to lick it away before going right back to sucking him off. A surprised groan escaped from Sebastian's lips before it was quickly silenced, his eyes narrowing at Ciel's amused ones.

"What a… naughty pet you've become," Sebastian stated, leaning back a little more to give Ciel some more space. Ciel only hummed in response, the vibrations causing some precum to leak from the tip of Sebastian's member onto Ciel's tongue. Ciel greedily slurped it up, actually having the nerve to wink at Sebastian. Sebastian's widened eyes lidded with amusement as he gripped onto Ciel's hair, gently pulling him off of his member. A string of saliva still connected the boy's lips to Sebastian's hard, saliva-slickened length, and the sight drove the demon crazy. He crashed their lips together, muffling Ciel's surprised gasp as he easily overpowered his servant and laid him back on the bed. Sebastian completely dominated the kiss, not even allowing for Ciel to take in any air as his tongue assaulted Ciel's hot cavern, exploring every nook and cranny. He could taste himself mixed with the different medicines Ciel had been taking for the past couple of weeks; underneath all of the bitterness, Sebastian could still taste a distinct sweetness, and that slight taste caused the demon to smirk into the kiss.

When Sebastian pulled away from the kiss, he was met with the sight of a miffed Ciel.

'_What the hell, my lord?! You could've killed me just now! I couldn't breathe!' _Ciel berated as he panted desperately. Sebastian merely chuckled, gently pecking Ciel's lips before he started kissing his way down Ciel's body, intent on having no interruptions this time as he made his way to his prize.

"Did you know," Sebastian murmured against Ciel's skin as he got closer to Ciel's intimate secret, "that the French refer to an orgasm as 'le petit morte'? Do you know what that means, my pet?" Sebastian glanced up at Ciel, smirking knowingly. Ciel looked slightly confused by the question before he huffed, thinking that Sebastian was trying to insult his intelligence.

'_Of course! It means "the little death". I didn't know we were having an impromptu French lesson, my lord,' _Ciel added sarcastically. Sebastian only chuckled, now face to face with Ciel's hole. Exhaling hotly against it and causing it to twitch and for Ciel's cheeks to redden, Sebastian ignored Ciel's sarcasm and continued with his point.

"Very good, my pet. 'The little death'… which means, Ciel, death by asphyxiation should be quite low on your list of ways that you could die," Sebastian finished before he suddenly licked the rim of Ciel's entrance, causing Ciel to sharply jerk, one of his legs reflexively kicking at Sebastian's head. Sebastian skillfully caught it, not missing a beat as he began to rim his squirming pet. Ciel's eyes rolled back in his head as he gasped loudly, his hands shooting out to tightly grip onto his master's hair. His hips bucked when the tip of Sebastian's tongue pressed against the tight pucker, his gasps becoming louder and more frequent as the wet muscle wiggled its way past the first tight ring of muscle. Ciel's mouth opened in a cry at the penetration, his cheeks reddening even more as his stomach did flip-flops. It had been so long since he had been pleasured by Sebastian, so his body was trying to adjust to all of the sensations all over again.

Sebastian watched Ciel squirm around on the bed, the boy's hair a mussed mess as Ciel's head whipped from side to side, as if he was trying to deny himself of the pleasure that Sebastian was giving him. The demon internally smirked. _We certainly can't have that_, he thought, pressing the tips of his fingers against Ciel's plump bottom lip, giving him silent instructions. Ciel's eyes fluttered open at the slight pressure on his lip, his hazy eyes locking with Sebastian's as the demon continued to flick and swirl his tongue around and inside of Ciel's hole. Shivering, Ciel slightly opened his mouth, allowing for Sebastian's fingers to slide inside. Lazily, his mind too distracted by Sebastian's actions down below, Ciel suckled on Sebastian's fingers, his tongue languidly wrapping around the slender digits, making sure to get them good and wet.

Sebastian watched as saliva dripped from the corners of Ciel's mouth, his pet's cheeks a beautiful red, his eyes lidded and glazed over with pleasure. _So damn beautiful_, Sebastian thought, gently pulling his saliva-slickened fingers out of Ciel's hot mouth. Sebastian pulled his tongue away from Ciel's now-wet hole, watching it twitch for a bit before he caught an impatient huff from Ciel.

'_Get… on with it, asshole!' _Ciel sent, clearly more embarrassed by having his entrance be stared at rather than angry. _Freaking creepy… he always does that…_ Ciel thought to himself, forgetting to put up the mental barrier so Sebastian couldn't hear his thoughts. Sebastian only chuckled, amused rather than pissed by Ciel's thought.

"But, my pet, it's such a beautiful pink color. It's as cute as a kitten," Sebastian cooed, smirking widely when Ciel gave him an incredulous look.

'_You did not just compare my….. to a cat…' _Ciel responded, disbelief clear in his mental tone. Sebastian only grinned before he circled the tip of his index finger around Ciel's hole. "I love it as much as I love cats," Sebastian said before he carefully slid his finger inside of Ciel's tight entrance. A sharp jab of pain shot up Ciel's spine at the deeper penetration, his eyes widening as he gasped loudly.

"Relax, Ciel," Sebastian said calmly, slowly starting to thrust his finger. Ciel's hot and tight walls clamped around the demon's digit, and Sebastian couldn't help but to imagine how amazing those walls were going to feel around his member as he repeatedly thrust in and out of Ciel. The thought made the demon quite impatient to skip to the good stuff already, but he knew that tearing Ciel's insides wasn't exactly something the child butler would appreciate after not having sex for so long.

Ciel's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to focus on relaxing and continuing to breathe, but just like his body had to readjust to the pleasure, it also had to readjust to the pain. Gripping tightly onto the sheets, the child butler bit his lip as he forced himself to relax, his breath hitching at times when the tip of Sebastian's finger would brush against his prostate, a pleasure point that hadn't been touched in such a long time. Sebastian watched Ciel closely, making sure that he had truly adjusted to the first finger before he added a second, slowly starting to scissor them and meeting a fair amount of resistance. Ciel's breaths came faster and shorter, his hands trembling around the sheets as his hips jerked sharply away, the pain a lot more intense than before. Sebastian silently gripped onto Ciel's hips, keeping them in place as he continued to twist and scissor his fingers.

"Calm down, my pet, or else you might injure yourself," Sebastian stated coolly, locking eyes with Ciel's pained ones. Ciel managed to snort, looking at the demon with irritation. He didn't even bother to send his master a message, knowing that he would only be told to calm down and relax. Looking off to the side, the child butler released a couple of breaths, again, forcing his body into a relaxed state. Sebastian looked pleased by Ciel's efforts, beaming at his butler as he crooked his fingers, making a come-hither motion against Ciel's prostate as a reward for listening to him. Ciel's eyes widened to comic proportions at the bolt of pleasure that raced through his body, causing him to jerk violently on the bed, his mouth opening in a silent scream of pleasure.

Sebastian felt a pang of disappointment from the lack of sound coming from his pet; even after adding the third and final finger and getting the petite boy to adjust to them, not a single sound was emitted from Ciel except for gasps and pants. It was slightly unsettling for Sebastian, reminding the demon of how he failed to protect his pet from that damn mate.

_My cute Ciel…_

The boy was starting to move back against Sebastian's fingers, the pleasure turning his mind to mush. His hips rocked and rolled with the demon's digits, his eyes fluttering with pleasure as his hands tore at the sheets. Saliva made its way from his open mouth, his chest rapidly rising and falling as his gasps and pants filled the otherwise silent air. Sebastian was jerked out of his mental musings by the sudden tightening of Ciel's walls around his fingers. Smirking teasingly, a demonically amused glint in his slightly glowing eyes, Sebastian removed his fingers from Ciel's entrance, causing Ciel to give him a glare of pure irritation.

'_Sebastian, you bastard!_'

"Now, now, my pet," Sebastian responded calmly, positioning the tip of his member against Ciel's entrance and causing Ciel's breath to hitch, "I can't have you experiencing your le petit morte just yet~."

Ciel looked ready to retort, but Sebastian effectively silenced him by starting to slowly push inside of his pet. Ciel immediately stiffened, his eyes squeezing shut as he prepared himself for the world of pain he was about to experience. That pain came when the tip of Sebastian's impressive length finally managed to get past the first ring of tight muscle. Ciel jerked violently on the bed, his teeth grinding together as he whipped his head from side to side, the pain already overwhelming for him. Sebastian watched Ciel closely, pausing in his movement to give Ciel time to adjust. The child butler trembled like crazy as he shakily breathed, his chest rising and falling at an alarming rate. Sebastian leaned down to gently kiss Ciel's sweaty forehead. The boy's eyes fluttered open to look at his demon master, who was watching him with a surprisingly gentle expression.

"No need to rush yourself, my pet. We have all night… and possibly all morning~," Sebastian added, smirking suggestively. Ciel rolled his eyes.

'_In your dreams, my lord.'_

"How disappointing," Sebastian responded with fake disappointment, taking Ciel's distracted state as a chance to keep moving. He slowly continued pushing inside, stopping whenever it became clear that Ciel was in far too much pain for him to continue. After what seemed like an eternity to Ciel, Sebastian was all the way inside of him.

'_Finally…!' _Ciel said with exasperation, causing the demon to chuckle.

"I apologize… There's just so much-"

'_Oh, shut up…'_ Ciel cut in, not in the mood for his master's ego at the moment. His body trembled violently with pain; he swallowed thickly several times, feeling like he was going to die from how big Sebastian felt inside of him. Sebastian, on the other hand, was in a state of bliss that he hadn't experienced for weeks. It was nearly enough for him to cum, but Sebastian was far too disciplined to do such an amateur-like thing, no matter how amazing Ciel's walls felt massaging around his member. The demon lord leaned down to place gentle kisses all over Ciel's face, dead set on distracting the teen from the pain of being fully penetrated after so many weeks. Ciel's face cutely scrunched up at his master's kisses, and he pushed at the demon's shoulders to get him to move away; instead, Sebastian wrapped his arms around his servant's petite body and pulled Ciel closer, causing the boy to gasp with surprise.

"I truly missed being like this," Sebastian murmured against the junction of Ciel's neck and shoulder, a pleased smirk forming on his face when he felt Ciel's pulse jump under the skin. Ciel couldn't stop his heart from racing at wild speeds as his master continued.

"I missed your warmth, your scent, your pleasured expressions," Sebastian said, slowly beginning to thrust in and out of his pet. Ciel gasped loudly, immediately wrapping his arms around Sebastian's neck and gripping tightly onto his master, his stomach doing flip-flops. Sebastian groaned softly into Ciel's ear when the boy's nails lightly bit into his skin, loving the little twitch that went through his servant's body. Even while thrusting inside of his tight servant, Sebastian continued speaking.

"I missed how perfectly your body moved against mine, how tightly you clung onto me, how violently you would tremble whenever I would hit your prostate." As if on cue, Sebastian thrust against Ciel's prostate, causing the child butler to violently tremble. Ciel's panting became louder and faster as Sebastian began to speed up his thrusting, occasionally pausing to apply pressure against Ciel's prostate for a brief amount of time, just to drive the poor teen crazy. Every time, Ciel's back would arch, pressing their sweat-slickened bodies more firmly against each other, his nails scrabbling against Sebastian's bare back making Sebastian shiver with pleasure from the slight pain.

The demon slowly licked around the shell of Ciel's red-tipped ear before he suddenly nipped Ciel's earlobe, causing Ciel's breath to hitch again. "Did you… miss this as well, my pet?" Sebastian asked, his brows starting to furrow as the pleasure began to get to him. For a while, Ciel didn't respond; even when the demon changed their positions so that the boy was bouncing in his lap, his hair wildly going in all directions as Sebastian tightly gripped his hips and made him ride his member hard and fast, the boy didn't respond to his question. This was partly because Ciel's mind was distracted by the hot length thrusting in and out of his entrance, but mostly because he was too embarrassed to admit the truth.

He had truly missed this.

He had missed feeling Sebastian's strong arms on his hips, around his waist, as they participated in their intimate dance together.

He had missed Sebastian's hot and wet kisses all over his body.

He had **really** missed Sebastian's passionate kisses that would devour Ciel's mouth and his entire being with their intensity.

He had missed the little moments of sweetness they had together; like at this moment, their left hands were intertwined as Sebastian thrust hard and fast inside of Ciel, hitting his prostate at random times instead of every single time to make the pleasure that much more pronounced.

He missed the feel of Sebastian's sweaty body against his own.

He missed Sebastian's musky scent.

He missed the intensity in Sebastian's eyes.

But most of all, he missed being the focus of all of Sebastian's attention.

'_Yes… I… I missed this…_' Ciel hesitantly said, his mental voice so quiet that Sebastian almost didn't catch his servant's quiet confession. A small smirk made its way onto the demon's face as he laid Ciel back on the bed again, slowing his thrusts so that they were slower and longer. This caused Ciel's eyes to flutter; he could feel Sebastian much more intimately now, and it caused his already hot cheeks to become even hotter. He mouthed silent exclamations of pleasure mixed in with Sebastian's name, his eyes locked with Sebastian's the entire time. Sebastian's eyes flitted to their intertwined hands, a sudden thought appearing in his head.

"But most of all, I missed the sight of this on your thumb," Sebastian said, pausing in his thrusting to look at Ciel's left hand. Ciel blinked, his rational side coming out of its pleasure-hazed state to analyze the situation. He could feel an odd yet familiar weight on his thumb, his head lazily rolling to the side to investigate. His breath hitched as his eyes zeroed in on the ornate ring on his thumb, the same ring that had been destroyed by Lizzie a couple of weeks ago. His eyes widened at the sight, in complete disbelief as he took in the intricately-designed silver band, the beautiful sapphire located in the center of the ring. Ciel couldn't even breathe, only staring with shock at his own reflection in the beautiful stone. Swallowing thickly, Ciel could feel his throat tighten as his hand trembled in Sebastian's.

[_I… I thought I had lost this ring forever…! I… I can't believe this. Even after all I said… all I did… all the trouble I caused… he's still entrusting me with his ring… Why? Why does he do these things for someone like me? I… To Sebastian… I'm… so grateful. He asked how I knew him so well, yet I should be the one asking that… How did he know that I missed this ring so much? How does he know what is truly in my heart? How does he always know?_]

"It was quite an experience having to put it back together; regardless, it was worth it to be able to see it on your finger again," Sebastian murmured, lifting their joined hands and gently kissing the ring on Ciel's finger. His carmine eyes locked with Ciel's, who had completely forgotten how to breathe at this point. "I hope this is where it will remain for as long as you are in service to me… my Ciel…" Sebastian added, his gaze unwavering as he looked deep into his servant's eyes, his soul.

Ciel continued to stare at Sebastian with an open-mouthed expression, the shock of having the ring back still not wearing off just yet. So many emotions raced through him as his heart beat erratically: shock, surprise, curiosity, relief…

Happiness.

Slowly, a small smile developed on Ciel's face, his eyes sparkling with unshed tears as he nodded once, his cheeks rosy with joy. The sight of his servant's pure-hearted smile took Sebastian's breath away before he found a small smile forming on his own lips. The demon gently rested his forehead against his servant's; the two males continued to look into each other's eyes, neither saying a word for several minutes. No words needed to be exchanged; it was enough just to be able to read the emotions in the other's eyes.

"Ciel…" Sebastian murmured, his eyes lidding as he gently joined their lips together in an amorous kiss. Ciel's eyes slowly fell closed as he responded to the kiss, their lips perfectly moving and molding together. Their grip on each other's left hands tightened as the stone in the center of the ring on Ciel's finger seemed to glow with the intensity of the feelings in the kiss shared between the master and servant.

_I will save you, my Ciel. I will protect you with everything I have. I will protect your body, your heart, your soul… your smile._

With the determination that only a noble of Sebastian's stature could have, the demon thought as their bodies began to move against each other again, the kiss still continuing:

_I will get your voice back, my Ciel, even if it kills me._

* * *

(1): **During Medieval times, Jewish people did not believe in having last names; instead, they took the first name of either their mother or father depending on their gender. This was done so that people would be able to identify who was who's son or daughter based on the child's "last" name. In Mariska's case, since she is a girl, she took her mother's first name, using the word "bat" in-between her first name and her mother's, and used her mother's first name as her last name.**

(2):** Since Eli was a boy, he took his father's first name, using the word "ben" in-between his first name and his father's, and used his father's first name as his last name.**

(3): **During this time period, Jewish people were being persecuted in England and being driven out of the country. It was dangerous to admit to being a follower of Judaism, so it was best to keep quiet if you wanted to keep your home in England.**

(4): **Marriage is very important in Judaism, and there are certain rituals that have to be followed in order to correctly carry out the act of proposing and actually getting married. In order for a woman to be taken as a wife, the man must satisfy her in three ways: with money, with a contract, and with sexual intercourse. The perutah, the cheapest copper coin, is given more as a symbol than as actual monetary compensation. The act of the woman taking the coin symbolizes her consent to the marriage (no marriage can be done without the woman's consent), so the perutah would satisfy the first requirement. During the actual marriage ceremony, the man presents the woman with the Ketubah, a marriage contract, which states the husband's obligations to the wife, what to do at the time of his death, the obligations with supporting the children, and compensation for the wife if there is a divorce. The Ketubah obviously satisfies the second requirement. Do I really need to explain the third? Didn't think so~! ;)**

(5): **The Torah, an important religious text in Judaism, also states the conditions for marriage. There are different types of marriages: valid and forbidden. Forbidden marriages are basically incestuous ones, or ones that occur with certain close blood relatives' ex-wives, or wives of those who are not validly divorced. Children born from these marriages are known as "mamzerims", or bastard children, and they have regulations placed on them for being mamzerims. However, other forms of marriage, like between a Jew and a non-Jew, or one between minors, although not necessarily "valid", would not produce bastard children.**

* * *

**J-C:** **Ooooh, a look into Sebastian's past!**

**Naruto: And a silent promise to Ciel~!  
**

**~Sasuke~: Hn... Things might actually start getting interesting... *smirks***

**J-C: Yep, yep! The plot for this arc is FINALLY taking off in the next chapter! I'm really excited to write some more action (I love my feels, but I wanna write some legit fighting stuff :D) Be sure to be good little reviewers and review this for me, mmkay~?! I love you all, and thankies so much for all your support and dedication through this writer's block!**

**Ja ne! ^_^**


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